Lazatin to extend free Wi-Fi to all Angeles residents, not just students

Angeles City—Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. will be providing free Wi-Fi Internet for all Angeles residents. 

The mayor’s Chief Adviser and Tactician, IC Calaguas, who met representatives of Pil-Chi Telecoms on Friday, said 772 satellites are now being installed throughout the city to provide the free internet. 

 Pil-Chi Telecoms has partnered with local provider Converge ICT Solutions for the city project.

Calaguas said the initial plan was for free Wi-Fi internet access for city students only, but Lazatin decided to make the free internet citywide.

 “The city government will issue internet access cards to students which would be used strictly for education purposes,” she said.

The internet access cards will be distributed together with the computer tablets purchased by the city government for public school students from Grades 4 to 12 and the 3,200 students at the City College of Angeles (CCA).

Calaguas was the head of the Angeles City Information Communication Technology Division way back in 2001 during the time of former mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, the incumbent’s father.

Pil-Chi is targeting to finish the installation of satellites by the first week of October before the classes start.

Lazatin allocated a total of P161 million for the computer tablets of 48,000 public school students and another P15 million for the tablets of CCA students. P20 million was allotted for the free Wi-Fi for Angeles residents. 

The full computerization of the city government revenue offices was also certified as ISO 9001:2000 in 2002, the first local government unit outside Metro Manila to receive the certification.