PLDT and Smart Communications have reinforced the data connectivity with Smart Wifi at the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.
The firing up of Smart Wifi would improve customer experience for travelers using airport connectivity in the key gateways serving Northern and southern Mindanao. Last week, PLDT and Smart also installed Smart Wifi in Davao City's Francisco Bangoy International Airport.
The upgrade of the wireless connectivity in the airport would enable travelers to maximize their digital experience while surfing the Internet for their favorite sites, and keeping connected with home and office while traveling. With a bandwidth of up to one gigabit per second, Smart Wifi promises a world-class digital experience.
"Connectivity is important for a country of many islands like the Philippines. Smart Wifi is just the first in a series of projects that the Department of Transportation intends to roll out in the coming days in partnership with PLDT and Smart," said Transportation Undersecretary Roberto Lim during the rollout in Davao City's airport.
"A tourist's impression of a country will be largely based on the first and last experience of his destination. Smart Wifi contributes to improving this experience and to the success of having them come over and visit again," added Lim.
Laguindingan Airport is one of busiest regional airports in the country. It serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte in Northern Mindanao. It can accommodate 2,000 passengers a day, and up to 1.6 million a year.
"The installation of Smart Wifi in the Laguindingan airport is part of our commitment to improve Internet access and coverage nationwide. With the data connectivity, travelers will get to enjoy a seamless digital experience for more productive and meaningful journeys," said Eric R. Alberto, EVP for PLDT/Smart, and president and CEO, ePLDT.
The Laguindingan and Davao airports are among the 21 major transport hubs identified by the DOT for installation of Smart Wifi as laid out by the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and PLDT and Smart chairman, president and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
The initial rollout also includes all four passenger terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as well as airports in Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Kalibo, Laguindingan, General Santos, Clark, Laoag, Cebu, Caticlan, and Zamboanga. Also in the list are key seaports in Southern Luzon as well as MRT 3, and LRT lines 1 and 2 for Metro Manila.
Smart Wifi's footprint will also be expanded to cover more public areas, such as city halls, schools, hospitals, and establishments such as malls, restaurants, and coffee shops, among many others, amid the increasing demand for more public Wifi hotspots in the country.
The rollout is backed by PLDT's robust and resilient fixed and wireless networks. (PR)