Marcos leads the launch of National Fiber Backbone Phases 2 and 3
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday led the grand launch of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phases 2 and 3 in Palo, Leyte, aimed at providing faster and more reliable internet connectivity across the country.
During the program, the president pressed the digital button of the test equipment to launch the NFB that will expand by an additional 1,781 kilometers of fiber optic cables in Regions II (Cagayan Valley), IV-A (Calabarzon), V (Bicol), VIII (Eastern Visayas), X (Northern Mindanao) and XI (Davao).
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“When we say fiber backbone, the flow of information is faster. You will know sooner if a typhoon is coming or if there are job openings in different towns. You will be able to talk to your loved ones more easily,” Marcos said in his speech.
“There are some parts of the country that are still not covered by the signal, forcing people to travel far to get a signal. That’s why we are here to bring the internet closer to everyone,” he also said.
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This grand launch came a year after the rollout of NFB Phase 1—the first and only government-owned fiber backbone spanning 1,245 kilometers from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City.
It aims to broaden network coverage by providing internet access to over 600 government offices and public areas, benefiting around 17 million Filipinos, including 1.3 million unique users.
A fiber backbone is a high-speed fiber-optic network that connects major routers, data centers and internet hubs. It serves as the core infrastructure for transmitting large volumes of internet traffic.
After the event, Marcos proceeded to the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park to lead the launching of the Free Public Wi-Fi.
He engaged in a virtual interaction with remote communities, teachers, students and local officials who conveyed their heartfelt gratitude to Marcos for the Free Wi-Fi for All Program. Participating schools were from the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Batanes, Marawi, Zambales and Cotabato City. /apl
