<tt>NBN is all about overpricing, kickbacks and not about services</tt> <tt>Computer professionals say Filipinos could have made a cheaper alternative</tt> <tt>Reference: Rick Bahague</tt> <tt>Contact: 09178840096</tt> <tt>"The NBN project is really about who will get the kickbacks," said Rick</tt> <tt>Bahague of the Computer Professionals Union on the ongoing hearing on the</tt> <tt>controversial National Broadband Network in the Senate. The National</tt> <tt>Broadband Network is a multibillion peso information technology project.</tt> <tt>The Department of Transportation and Communications has already computed</tt> <tt>the supposed huge savings in yearly communications costs if this project</tt> <tt>is finished.</tt> <tt>"Computerizations and improved communication networks are welcome</tt> <tt>improvements in providing service to the grassroots", adds Bahague. "But</tt> <tt>it should not be a way for the First Gentleman and his cohorts to get huge</tt> <tt>kickbacks." The NBN project aims to interconnect 2,295 government agencies</tt> <tt>and 23,549 municipalities and barangays. The First Gentleman has been</tt> <tt>recently implicated as the "Mystery Man" in the contract negotiations.</tt> <tt>“The National Broadband Network, if implemented by a government with</tt> <tt>genuine interest in serving its population, can indeed enhance the flow of</tt> <tt>information between national and local agencies. Unfortunately, this</tt> <tt>administration is primarily interested on sharing the kickbacks.”</tt> <tt>Bahague added.</tt> <tt>The government is not new to deals with such huge networks. The Department</tt> <tt>of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute</tt> <tt>maintains a similar network which interconnects different research</tt> <tt>institutions nationwide – the Philippine Research, Education, and</tt> <tt>Government Information Network (PREGINET). The said network has at least</tt> <tt>16 access points for use of its partners all over the archipelago. On</tt> <tt>PREGINET, local partners connect to one of the access points which has</tt> <tt>direct connections to one of the 4 exchange points. The exchange points</tt> <tt>are then connected to the ASTI.</tt> <tt>"Filipino computer professionals have the competency to implement such a</tt> <tt>project but the government preferred foreign counterparts. This is one</tt> <tt>indication that they are really after their own interests rather than</tt> <tt>implementing the project for the benefit of the people." Rick Bahague</tt> <tt>added.</tt> <tt>*The Computer Professionals' Union is a group of volunteers advocating</tt> <tt>information technology for the people. CPU has been supporting different</tt> <tt>grassroots organizations in the use of ICT.</tt> <tt>NBN: Boon or Bane is posted at <a href="http://www.cp-union.org/">www.cp-union.org</a>. ###</tt> -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- GPG Key: <a href="http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xB57550EF">http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xB57550EF </a> Url: <a href="http://tek4dpipol.blogspot.com">tek4dpipol.blogspot.com</a> advocacy: <a href="http://www.cp-union.org">www.cp-union.org</a> Others: <a href="http://rbjrph.multiply.com">http://rbjrph.multiply.com </a> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Nobody knows who will win this fight, because the outcome depends on you and the readers. Will you fight for freedom? Will you reject Windows and MacOS and other non-free software, and switch to GNU/Linux? Or will you be too lazy to resist? R. Stallman