| INSIDE
THE TIMELINE IN CYBER AGE |
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TIMELINE
- Shows
the historical development of communication
in the Philippines from pre-Spanish times
to the present. |
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Timeline of Significant Events
in Philippine Cyberage
The Internet
boom came late for the Filipino people,
but even if they initially “lagged”
behind in the global pacing they made up
for it in less than 10 years, becoming avid
users of Internet and shortly after, wireless
communications. As the Filipino culture
discovered the ability to harness the uses
of the Internet, they became addicted to
it. Thus began the Cyberage of the Filipino. |
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| 1994 |
March
The collaborative work of Computer Network
Systems Corporation (ComNet), the Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) and major
Universities of the Philippines connected
their wide area network (PhilNet/PhNet) to
the United States via a leased line. The Philippines
had officially entered the world of the Global
Internet. October
Mosaic Communications, Inc. (MosCom) becomes
the first commercial Internet Service Provider
(ISP).
Chuck Gardner starts Cyberbayan, a listing
of Filipino sites, making it the country’s
first online directory.
US-based Ken Ilio starts Tribong Pinoy and
Tanikalang Ginto, the first comprehensive
site directory.
De La Salle University becomes the first
educational institution to put up a Web
site.
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March
The Public Telecommunications Act of the
Philippines is signed into law, which among
other things removed the need for value-added
service (VAS) providers to secure a franchise.
June
- Globe Telecom launches G-Net
Internet service.
- US company Sequel Concepts, Inc. sets
up Infocom Technologies, Inc.
August
Ticketworld offers online ticketing.
October
Businessworld Internet Edition,
the country’s first newspaper to go
online, launches.
November
Davao-based Web Link becomes the
first cyber café in the country.
December
- Urban Bank announces plans to
set up online virtual bank.
- MailStation Net becomes first walk-in
Internet access provider
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| 1996
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January
- Global Systems Interconnect,
Inc. (GSI), the first Cebu-based ISP, sets
up and later launches G-Spot, the country’s
first search engine.
- Subic announces plan to become a cybercity.
February
- Compuserve plans launch of Asia-Pacific
service, including the Philippines.
- The Philippines joins the Internet 1996
World Exposition, an online virtual exhibit.
- Eiger Consulting & Information Systems
(ECIS) sets up second Internet café
in Katipunan, Quezon City.
March
- Department of Science and Technology
Secretary William Padolina backs Internet
freedom.
April
- PLDT buys majority stake in Infocom. Senator
Orlando Mercado files resolution seeking
an inquiry into Net porn.
- ABS-CBN becomes first local TV network
to put up a Web site, through ABS-CBN Interactive.
May
- Bankard announces plan to offer
home shopping and electronic payment transactions
online via Bankard Online.
June
- Filipinas Heritage Library unveils Bibliotech
Internet Café.
- AMA launches its own ISP, AMANet, Inc.
- ISPs form association, Philippine Internet
Service Organization (PISO).
July
- Bayantel launches ISP, Bayan.Net.
September
- Cybernet launches Powerhouse.net,
a media portal aggregating various publications
similar to Time-Warner’s Pathfinder.
- Portal Inc. introduces beeper-to-email
capability.
- Mecklermedia and Sequel Concepts Inc.
organize highly-successful Internet World
Philippines ’96 at the Shangri-la
EDSA Plaza Hotel.
- Netscape a no-show at Internet World ’96
“Browser Brawl”, pitting Netscape
Navigator 3.0 versus Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.0.
November
- Web Philippines, Inc. puts up
online directory, Sentro, and job site,
Trabaho.com.
December
- Subic unveils cybercity.
|
| 1997 |
February
- Internet directory and search engine Yehey
launches.
- Rival directory and search engine EDSA
also launches.
March
- Webscape Philippines offers the
first prepaid Internet card, Internet Axess.
April
- AOL eyes Subic as base for international
service center. PISO blocks PLDT’s
metering plan.
May
- Urban Bank introduces its Home Virtual
Banking (HVB) system to corporate and individual
clients, becoming the first to offer true
Internet banking services.
- EpiCNet announces cable Internet access
roll-out.
- Abbygale Arenas wins Ms. Photogenic at
the Ms. Universe 1997 pageant, based on
online votes.
- Clark launches own Philippine Cyber City.
June
- Cyberville Online announces plan to build
proprietary online Cybermall.
July
- Philnet launched SARNET (Science, Academe,
and Research Network), to connect more than
2,000 schools.
- PLDT launches PhIX (Philippine Internet
Exchange), which interconnects local ISPs.
It allows local Internet Service Providers,
with a primary connection to the global
Internet, to access and exchange local Internet
transactions without accessing the Global
Internet.
- Bancnet becomes first ATM consortium to
operate as an ISP to its member banks.
August
- Satellite communications in the country
Satellite technology now links Metro Manila
government stations to all regions of the
country.
- The Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation
launched the first Philippine satellite,
the Agila II
September
- IDG’s Internet Commerce
Expo opens, organized by WS Expositions
Group.
- PLDT and Globe Telecom plan to offer ISDN.
October
- Portal Inc. enables the Philippine Stock
Exchange (PSE) to offer online, real-time
stock quotes.
- Witcomm International Corp. launches WebTV.
- Team Mail, the first local free e-mail
provider, is established.
November
- NTC decides against PISO on metering.
- Cyberspace, Inc. takes over Cybernet,
leaving clients unable to access their e-mail
accounts and hosted Web sites.
|
| 1998 |
January
- Congressman
Leandro Verceles Jr.’s RPWeb initiative
that will connect more than 12,000 government
offices and schools is signed by President
Fidel Ramos.
February
- Asian ISPs gather in Manila for Apricot
’98 (Asia Pacific Rim Internet Conference
on Operational Technologies).
- ZakNet launches satellite Internet service.
March
- PHnet launches second Internet exchange,
PhNet IX.
- WS Computer Publishing Corp. buys Fiesta
Online, which operates Yehey.
- Government sets up e-commerce council.
- Pinoymail launches, offering free Web-based
e-mail.
- Dino Ignacio’s Bert is Evil wins the
IDG-organized, San Francisco-based Webby Awards
for the Weird category.
May
- AOL begins Clark operations.
- Centennial celebration sites proliferate.
June
- PLDT moves back metering plan to April 1999.
- Philippine Internet Commerce Society (PICS)
is formed.
July
-Senator Juan Flavier calls for Senate inquiry
on metering.
August
- US-based international ISP Neptune8
opens local office, stirring a major flame
war on ph-cyberview.
- Police raid knocks out Subic cybercity computer
systems.
Congressman Leandro Verceles Jr. proposes
formation of a Department of Information Technology
and Communications (DITC).
September
- Consumer advocacy group PLDTi (Philippine
League of Democratic Telecommunications,
Inc.) is formed, partly to combat phone
metering.
October
- Cable TV operator Destiny Cable
launches cable Internet service.
- William Padolina proposes new laws on
e-commerce.
- Globe Telecom is first to offer VSAT.
- San Miguel Beer Online, the first local
site to accept online payments, is launched.
December
- The first Philippine Webby Awards, organized
by The Web Philippines magazine, plays to
a mix of geeks and celebs at the Hard Rock
Café.
- Magoos Pizza’s Web site, a pioneer
in web-to-fax ordering technology, wins
E-Commerce Site of the Year.
- Philmusic.com grabs the Web Site of the
Year award.
- Yehey hosts Web site of Bb. Pilipinas
pageant.
|
| 1999 |
January
- The NTC suspends Provisional Authority (PA)
of PLDT’s metering scheme.
February
- Hacking activity against local ISPs such
as Sky Internet, Infocom, and Pacific Internet
increases.
May
- Digitel becomes first phone company to directly
offer Net access.
July
- PinoyExchange, a popular online message
board, launches.
- E-Store Exchange, one of the few B2C success
stories, launches.
September
- PLDT sues Gerry Kaimo on dispute over
PLDT.com.
- Destiny launches cable Internet service
anew.
- Ayala eCenter launches.
October
- Philweavers, a web development
community, is formed.
November
- Net registry DotPH opens up .ph
to international market and hikes fees.
December
- Union Bank of the Philippines
launches Internet bank, unionbankph.com,
and then successful launches EON, its youth-targeted
Internet bank account.
|
| 2000 |
January
- Catcha.com buys into Yehey.
- Sky Cable offers dial-up Net access.
- Centennial City is renamed Cyber Bay Corporation.
- Roberto Ongpin’s group breaks from
Philcom amid controversy, buys into South
Seas Natural Resources to form PhilWeb.com,
and becomes first Internet company in the
stock exchange via a backdoor listing.
February
- MP3Manila.com launches.
- Extelcom announces Internet plans.
- Sky Cable launches ZPDee, its cable Internet
service.
- Home Cable launches Now Cable Internet service.
- PLDT launches international Internet gateway,
I-Gate.
- A Cebu ordinance banning minors from Internet
cafes is passed and subsequently opposed.
March
- Edsamail offers ISP-free e-mail.
- Zurich Philippines first to offer insurance
premium payments online.
- Local tech stocks reach their peak, followed
by a sharp drop, finally bursting the speculative
bubble.
April
- Senator Tito Sotto files bill seeking to
install software filters on computers of school
libraries that offer Internet access.
- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) launches CBCPnet.com, its kid-safe
ISP.
- NCC pushes for universal Net access.
- Infocom offers its filtering service, Netsafe.
- The Love Bug virus, later traced to Filipino
student Onel de Guzman, wreaks worldwide havoc.
June
- E-commerce bill passed into law.
- The National Information Technology Council
(NITC) approves the five-year Government Information
Systems Plan (GISP), also known as the Philippine
Government Online.
July
- Six conglomerates announces formation
of B2B online exchange, Bayantrade.
- ABS-CBN launches its Internet portal, PinoyCentral.
- Sage Casino launches.
August
- Pager company Easycall Communications transforms
into an ISP.
- Senator Tito Sotto’s proposed anti-cybersquatting
bill draws flak, in reaction to a certain
Mario Cruz who registers several domains of
names of senators.
- Onel de Guzman is released due to lack of
law.
- Meridian Telekoms, the first Internet telecommunications
company offering broadband wireless connectivity,
is launched.
September
- Systems Standards, Inc. launches PhilBX,
an e-marketplace for SMEs.
- Senator Tito Sotto proposes a service area
scheme for ISPs, drawing a cool response.
- Globe offers DSL (Digital Subscriber Line),
the first telco to launch it (PLDT was first
to announce but the service was still in its
testing phase).
- Informatics Holdings Philippines, Inc. launches
a Web-based learning portal, PurpleTrain.com,
the first e-learning vertical portal in Asia.
October
- ELagda.com, which sought to gather a million
online signatures to petition the resignation
of President Joseph “Erap” Estrada,
is launched.
- DFNN gets listed in the Philippine Stock
Exchange through an IPO.
November
- Cyberactivism flourishes with
sites like TAG (Transparent Accountable
Governance) and anti-Erap sites.
- eLagda.com organizers sends an e-mail
petition to President Joseph Estrada to
resign.
- Asia Online realigns, becoming a full-service
Internet consulting firm.
- PLDT rolls out DSL.
December
- BPI spins off BPI Direct Savings
Bank, merging its Internet and call center
operations.
- Meridian Telekoms introduces fixed wireless
broadband service.
- DTI releases ISP guidelines for VAS providers.
- PLDT launches Vitro, its Internet Data
Center.
|
| 2001 |
January
- Erap.com shuts down as web developer Designet
Philippines breaks up.
- Complaints about DotPH mount in ph-cyberview
and a flame war ensues, leading to an organized
opposition against the local registry.
- Selecta Dairy Products forms alliance with
The Philippine Star to form Internet firm,
Philstar.com.
February
- Telcos block VoIP guidelines.
- NTC proposes optional metering.
- CHED partners with Net Curricula to train
the faculty of more than 100 state colleges
and universities.
- The owners of GMA Network and MediaQuest
Holdings Inc. sign a memorandum of understanding
for the purchase of 66.6% of the broadcast
firm for P8.5 billion.
- BSP grants authority to 10 banks to operate
electronic banking transactions.
- DBM announces its Electronic Procurement
System (EPS) for online public bidding.
- GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer
forge online alliance, Inq7.net Interactive.
March
- PLDT invests in Netopia Computer Technologies,
Inc.
- PISO complains about PLDT’s pricing
for its myDSL service.
- Inter.net acquires Philippine operations
of PSINET.
- Sky Cable and Home Cable merge.
- Yahoo!, Inc. wins dispute against Manila-based
Yahoo Computer Services (YCS) for registering
the domain names "yahoo.com.ph"
and "yahoo.ph" with DotPH, Inc.
- Smart Communications launches GPRS service.
April
- DOST proposed Alternative Communications
Plan (ACP) to provide telecenters in all municipalities.
- President Arroyo takes over ITECC chairmanship.
- Chikka launches instant messenger service
for sending SMS from PCs.This became very
useful for overseas Filipinos sending messages
from countries with easier access to PCs and
the Internet. It also shows the predominance
of SMS (short messege sending) over Internet
in the Philippines. This is mainly due to
the availability of service and low price
of equipment (handsets versus computers).
May
- Two former employees of THAMES International
School (TIS) become the first to be charged
for hacking, piracy, and theft under the E-Commerce
Act.
- Election watchdog ational Citizen's Movement
for Free Elections (Namfrel) makes use of
Internet for Operation Quick Count.
June
- RCBC makes Internet main delivery
channel for enterprise banking services.
- PISO takes DSL complaint vs. PLDT to NTC.
August
- THE Philippine Multimedia Systems Inc. (PMSI)
and AZ Communication Network Inc.
- (AzCom) gear up to offer Dream VSAT.
- Internet pioneer Willy Gan passes away.
October
- Bell Telecommunications, a full-service
telco, starts operations.
- Government portal www.gov.ph original designers
K2 Interactive left in the dark as the Presidential
Management Staff hands over project to Microsoft
Philippines.
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| 2002 |
February
- Top executives lead Inter.net exodus.
- Department of Justice throws out Disini’s
libel appeal.
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| 2003 |
April
Photo Blogging makes use of cameras on MMS
(Multi Messaging Service) cellular phones
to send pictures to websites such as “Blogs”.
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SOURCE:
http://www.itnetcentral.com/Nethistory/html/_evolution.htm |
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