TO provide residents and workers with high quality data connectivity, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. is rolling out carrier-grade Smart Wifi in more areas in Quezon City, Metro Manila’s most populous city.
Smart Wifi is now available at the Quezon City Hall, while several Quezon City restaurants have also been transformed into Smart Spots, providing high-speed Wifi to people who live and work in the city.
About a fifth of Metro Manila’s more than 12 million residents, or about 3 million people, live in Quezon City.
“By making Smart Wifi available in more high-traffic spaces, we are making high quality connections more accessible for more Filipinos, who can now be more productive because they can access important government services, as well as update their social media while on-the-go,” said Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise for PLDT and Smart.
A backhaul capacity of up to 100 megabits per second (expandable to 1 gigabit per second) allows users to have the best digital experience when accessing their emails and social media accounts, downloading and sending files on-the-go, and checking out relevant digital content and services online.
Aside from Quezon City Hall, Smart Wifi is also available in the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Ali Mall, and Solid North Bus Terminal, as well as in Philippine Orthopedic Center, De Los Santos Medical Center and University of the Philippines campus in Diliman.
Smart Spots have also been launched in the following Quezon City areas: The Yard, Streat Maginhawa, Food Hive, The Vibe, Savour and Empacho Restaurant and Bar.
“The Quezon City government is continuously improving the delivery of its services to residents, and using technology is only one of the ways we are leveling up the city,” said QC Mayor Herbert Bautista. “With this partnership with PLDT and Smart, the Quezon City government and its services are only one click away,” he added.
“The nationwide rollout of Smart Wifi complements the ongoing network expansion and modernization program across the country. The network upgrade has resulted in significant improvements in voice, SMS, and mobile Internet coverage and quality, particularly on its LTE (Long Term Evolution) service. All these form part of an overarching effort to make the Internet accessible to all,” said Eric R. Alberto, Chief Revenue Officer of PLDT and Smart.
Smart’s LTE network improvement efforts across the country include re-equipping its cell sites to use low-frequency bands such as 700 MHz and 850 MHz to provide better indoor coverage, and deploying high-frequency bands like 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz to increase the cell sites’ capacity to handle more calls, texts, and ever-increasing mobile data traffic.