Smart offers free mobile live streaming of Duterte inaugural

MANILA, Philippines – Smart Communications is providing free mobile live streaming of the inauguration today of Rodrigo Duterte as the 16th president of the republic.

In a statement, Smart said their subscribers as well as those of TNT and Sun would be able to get free live streaming of the inauguration through freenet, the free data platform of Voyager Innovations Inc. or the digital innovations unit of PLDT and Smart.

To get the free mobile live streaming, subscribers will have to download the freenet mobile app from the Google Play Store or the SafeZone app from the Apple App Store.

Previously called SafeZonse, freenet allows users to be able to access certain apps and websites for free by downloading the freenet app on their phones.

At present, about 70 brands and enterprises use the freenet platform to enable individuals to access their sites and apps for free.

“Just a few weeks ago, we told our subscribers to ‘Welcome Change.’ In the coming days, we’ll all be witness to the coming of that change as we welcome the new leader of our country. Smart is proud to enable Filipinos to digitally participate in this occasion using their mobile devices for free, through freenet,” Ariel Fermin, executive vice president and head of consumer business at Smart and PLDT, said.

For his part, Voyager president and chief executive officer Orlando

Vea said the free livestream access to the new president’s inauguration is in line with the PLDT group’s aim to enable more people to be connected and use digital services.

Duterte has been called the “social media president” for utilizing such during the elections.

“We’ve seen the power of social media during the last elections, so

president-elect Duterte and his incoming administration are very keen in harnessing the same power and enabling each and every Filipino to take part in the conversation,” incoming Presidential Communications

Operations Office secretary Martin Andanar said.

“We’d like to thank Smart and Voyager’s freenet for this initiative, which is just the first step in our efforts to build a digitally enabled government that listens to the pulse of the people, no matter what platform they are on,” he added.

Nearly half of the people have Internet access through their mobile phones and are expected to tune in to today’s inauguration.