The country’s two largest telecom companies rolled out high-speed internet connectivity along Edsa, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare, to comply with the government’s directive to provide fast and reliable internet access nationwide.
“With the Smart Wi-Fi rollout on Edsa, we are providing highest class data architecture connectivity for the thousands of commuters who pass through the MRT stations and ply the stretch of Edsa traffic every day, so they can boost their daily productivity,” said PLDT executive vice president and chief revenue officer Eric Alberto.
“This rollout goes hand-in-hand with our efforts to improve LTE service nationwide. This simultaneous expansion of Smart Wi-Fi and Smart LTE is a testament to Smart’s commitment to provide our subscribers with the best wireless data experience like never before,” Alberto said.
Smart Wi-Fi said in addition to connectivity on 13 MRT platforms, it would also power connections on the street level along Edsa even between MRT stations, providing commuters with a seamless mobile experience, regardless of their network. Smart, with a backhaul capacity of up to one gigabit per second, can support up to 3,000 connected users with robust Wi-Fi connectivity.
Globe Telecom’s GoWiFi, is also available along Edsa in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
GoWiFi was first deployed in Metro Rail Transit stations last year as a part of the initial 126 hotspots and 2,500 access points opened by Globe for public use.
“We’re paving the way for our customers to avail of a swift and dependable option when connecting to the internet, especially when they are on-the-go,” Globe chief commercial officer Albert de Larrazabal said.
Aside from MRT-3, it is also available in other major transportation hubs such as select stations of the Light Rail Transit system and key airports around the country such as those in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao and top tourist destinations like Boracay and Lio, El Nido, Palawan.
The service is also available in hospitals such as St. Luke’s Medical Center, The Medical City, Davao Doctors Hospital, Cardinal Santos Hospital and Philippine General Hospital; local government units in Makati, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Caloocan, and Batangas; and some of the schools and universities like Far Eastern University and Bulacan State University.