THE NATIONAL Transmission Corporation or Transco on Tuesday said that it has completed the testing and application of Information and Communications Technologies that will help the Department of Education implement the Public Education Network Program.

The program will provide connectivity and high-speed internet to public schools nationwide amid the pandemic.

Transco President and Chief Executive Officer Melvin Matibag said the Public Education Network-Communications Infrastructure for Learning project will also address the learning continuity challenges DepEd faces and help in the transition to the new normal.

Through its Project Lightning, Matibag said Transco will be involved in designing, developing and operating the PEN-CIL system to make the country’s basic education system more resilient especially in times of calamities and crises.

He added that Project Lightning will enable the transfer of large amounts of data at extremely high speeds using existing power lines, without the need for the installation of new cellphone towers or laying of fiber optic cables.

The internet system will be developed in cooperation with electric cooperatives nationwide. Remote rural areas, which are often left out by the internet providers due to commercial viability issues, will be prioritized.

PEN-CIL will be piloted at the Baguio Teachers Camp where all buildings and facilities are not yet connected to the internet.

Matibag said other government agencies can also ride on the national internet network, thus helping the Department of Information and Communication Technology complete its National Broadband Plan.