PLDT and Smart Communications have installed high-speed Internet at Tagbilaran Airport, further expanding the footprint for Smart Wifi in the Visayas.
The country’s 11th busiest airport, Tagbilaran Airport serves approximately 800,000 passengers each year.
In the past 100 days, PLDT and Smart have deployed carrier-grade Smart Wifi in key transport hubs identified by the Department of Transportation all over the country, including the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This is in line with the PLDT Group’s commitment to enable more Filipinos to experience high-speed Internet.
This state-of-the-art communications infrastructure will help boost the country’s tourism industry given the reliance of today’s travelers on mobile apps for information and services to make their trips enjoyable and productive.
With a backhaul capacity of up to one gigabit per second, up to 3,000 concurrent users of Smart Wifi will have seamless digital experience in checking their social media accounts, email, or keeping connected to home and office while traveling.
“We have already deployed carrier-grade Smart Wifi in major transport hubs identified by the Department of Transportation. More installations are in the pipeline as part of our commitment to put up more Wifi hotspots in the country so more Filipinos can experience super-speed internet on a larger scale,” said Eric R. Alberto, EVP for PLDT/Smart, and president and CEO of ePLDT.
“Smart Wifi complements our mobile Internet service that we are also boosting through the deployment of enhanced LTE and 3G coverage all over the country. This is part of Smart’s three-year network improvement program, which has already integrated the use of additional radio frequency spectrum such as the 700 MHz band that we have gained access to as a result of the acquisition of the telecom business of San Miguel Corporation,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, FVP and Wireless Consumer Operations head at Smart.
Smart Wifi is already in Davao City’s Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, Bacolod-Silay International Airport and Iloilo International Airport, Roxas Airport, Zamboanga Airport, Clark International Airport, Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport, Laoag International Airport, General Santos International Airport, Kalibo International Airport, Boracay Airport, and Puerto Princesa Airport.
Smart Wifi has also been installed at the Batangas International Port in Batangas City, and Calapan City Port in Mindoro. High-speed Internet will also be installed in MRT and LRT stations in Metro Manila.
More high traffic areas such as city halls, schools, hospitals and malls, among others, will be covered by the service over time.
Smart has allocated about P1 billion for the first phase of the deployment of carrier-grade Smart Wifi. This is part of the PLDT Group’s P48-billion capital expenditure program for 2016, which is focused on improving data connectivity throughout the country using both fixed and wireless infrastructure.