SEOUL, South Korea, June 7 ,2018 /PRNewswire/ -- KT Corp. (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT) said today that it has proposed a "Smart Boracay" project to the Philippine government to help make the world-famous tourist destination safer and more wired with KT's advanced ICT (information and communications technology) solutions.
Korea's largest telecommunications company said that its chairman, Hwang Chang-Gyu, and senior officers submitted the proposal during talks with visiting Philippine government officials on June 5, when they discussed ways to upgrade the Philippines' ICT technologies.
"We are actively pursuing international cooperation taking advantage of our innovative technologies in the fields of smart energy and disaster/safety/security, not to mention telecommunication networks," Chairman Hwang said. "The 'Smart Boracay' initiative will give us an opportunity to benefit millions of tourists from around the world with our advanced technology and capabilities."
"Eliseo Mijares Rio, Jr., acting secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology; Gregorio Honasan, secretary-designate of the Department of ICT; and Jonas R. Leones, undersecretary of the Department of Environment and International Environmental Affairs, attended the meeting, held at the KT Gwanghwamun Building East in central Seoul.
Boracay is the Philippines' most popular holiday hotspot drawing some two million international visitors annually. The central government closed the island to tourists for six months, beginning in April this year, to clean up its environment by removing illegal structures, improving sewage connections, and updating electricity and communications facilities.
Chairman Hwang introduced KT's ICT-based innovative solutions in smart energy and security to the Philippine officials and proposed their application as part of the environmental revitalization. He explained that public WiFi and intelligent CCTV might be installed at Boracay's harbors to facilitate more convenient mobile Internet use and safer travel for visitors. Chairman Hwang also suggested utilization of solar energy as well as KT-MEG, a smart energy solution.
Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte is promoting economic development through a massive public infrastructure project that will cost US$170 billion. It is scheduled to be completed in 2022 when his six-year presidential term ends.
KT is currently consulting concerned officials of the Philippine government and private sector to participate in the country's efforts to develop ICT industries, hopefully starting with the environmental restoration of Boracay Island.
KT expects the Boracay project will be a model for similar endeavors in other countries. Last year, the company applied its "Giga LTE" solution in Thailand in cooperation with the country's largest mobile service provider. In May this year, it launched free public WiFi service in the national parks in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, covering a total of 120,000 square meters.
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