The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Thursday it would present a multi-billion peso national broadband network plan for approval to President Duterte in January 2017.

DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima said the estimated investment is P77 billion and could reach as high as P200 billion if the government has no existing infrastructure.

An earlier proposal, costing $329 million, under the Arroyo administration was abandoned due to graft and overpricing allegations.

Salalima added the government is in talks with potential technical and service providers to help the government to build the national broadband network.

If approved, the project is expected to be completed in one to three years.

Salalima earlier said the government was looking at using the fiber optic cable network of the National Grid Corp of the Philippines to provide broadband services in the countryside.

“I was informed that there are about 5,000 to 10,000 fiber optic cable running from north to south. We may start negotiating with the private corporation on how the government to make use of those fiber optic,” Salalima said.

NGCP, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp.; Calaca High Power Corp and the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC) as technical partner.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered DICT to craft a national broadband plan to provide Internet services in unserved and underserved areas. DMS