by Azer N. Parrocha, Philippine News Agency | Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Passengers in key transport hubs nationwide will soon be able to enjoy faster, free Wi-Fi access provided by telecommunications giant Smart Communications Inc. (Smart).
This comes after the Department of Transportation and Smart signed on Tuesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide Wi-Fi access ten times faster in transport hubs nationwide.
Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said that Wi-Fi access, which is expected to be at par with international standards, will not be limited to airports, sea ports, train stations and bus terminals.
“Passengers will now enjoy free WiFi connections during their stay in various transport hubs. We aim to provide high standards and better services to the public,” Tugade said.
The initiative demonstrates what can be accomplished with public-private sector cooperation, he added.
Under the MoU, Smart will operate and maintain the Wi-Fi facility at no cost to the government. The telecoms company has identified key transport hubs nationwide in which to implement the project.
Smart earlier announced that it has allotted some PHP1-billion to expand the coverage of its Wi-Fi service not just in transport hubs but also in government offices and business establishments.
It is currently working on the upgrade of the Wi-Fi service in the country’s airports, bus terminals and other public areas such as city halls, schools, malls, restaurants and coffee shops.
The exact date for the rollout of the faster, free Wi-Fi service has yet to be announced. (PNA)
