Globe expands Go WiFi sites

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. continues to expand its public WiFi sites with the addition of Ilocos Norte to its growing list of local government unit partners.

The Ayala-led telco has forged a partnership with the local government of Ilocos Norte to provide the province with high quality internet through GoWiFi.

“Staying true to our mission of leading the country’s digital transformation, this partnership with Ilocos Norte is of utmost importance for us in reaching and connecting more areas outside urban Luzon to reliable internet connectivity,” Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

Globe is targeting to power all municipalities in Ilocos Norte with free internet in the next few years.

At present, the company said GoWiFi services are available in key areas in Ilocos Norte such as the Capitol Building, Laoag City Hall, Batac City Hall, San Nicolas IT Park, and Aurora Park in Laoag.

“We are hoping that this connectivity can stimulate the development of the province as one of the economic powerhouses in the entire Northern Luzon - from powering small and medium local businesses with more efficient digital solutions to offering 24/7 quality medical services by telehealth provider KonsultaMD to more citizens,” Cu said.

With a partnership in place, Globe said Ilocos Norte is now part of the 2,700 GoWiFi hotspots all over the country.

The telco has also inked agreements for GoWiFi expansion with the local government units of Makati, Manila, San Juan, and Cainta, among others.

Globe seeks to grow its GoWiFi sites to 5,000 this year as it continues its expansion plans nationwide, particularly in high-traffic areas like schools, malls, and hospitals to make high-quality internet connection accessible and affordable to more Filipinos.

GoWiFi services are available in regular (free) GoWiFi and premium (paid) GoWiFi Auto. Both are available to all users with any WiFi-enabled device regardless of network service provider.

Subscription to GoWiFi allows users to enjoy connection speeds as high as 100 Mbps depending on location.