MANILA, Philippines — Close to 70 hospitals across Metro Manila and 22 provinces nationwide are getting unlimited WiFi from Smart Communications Inc. as COVID-19 cases rise due to the Omicron variant.
“By providing hospital-goers as well as frontliners access to fast and reliable Smart WiFi connectivity in these facilities, we are helping connect Filipinos amid the country’s renewed efforts to stem the spread of the virus,” Smart consumer wireless business senior vice president and head Jane Basas said.
Smart WiFi can be accessed in 17 hospitals in Metro Manila, nine in Northern Luzon and 16 Southern Luzon.
In the Visayas and Mindanao, the unlimited 24/7 free, fiber-powered and reliable service is available in 24 facilities.
PLDT and Smart have also worked closely with the government in their COVID-19 response by rolling out fiber-powered WiFi connectivity to government-run quarantine, swabbing, isolation, vaccination sites and other COVID-19 facilities nationwide.
PLDT also rolled out carrier-grade WiFi connectivity in quarantine sites of the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, in the mega quarantine and swabbing sites of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways, and in vaccination sites in Mandaluyong, Marikina and Pateros.
The Smart WiFi deployed in the hospitals and isolation facilities ensures the connectivity needs of frontliners and patients to virtually keep in touch with their families and lessen their anxiety while in quarantine.
Alongside rolling out free WiFi, Smart has also fired up 5G base stations in various cities, as well as establishing around 6,400 5G base stations nationwide.
Based on Ookla’s Speedtest covering the first half of 2021, the wireless arm of PLDT is the Philippines’ fastest mobile network for the fourth year in a row.