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| LIA WI-FI LAUNCH. Understanding the need for virtual connectivity, LIA and PLDT-Smart officials launched the 200 mbps public Wi-Fi at the Laoag Airport. On hand during the launch are (from left) are PLDT AVP for Network Engineering Roberto Pascual; PLDT Head of Alpha Enterprise- Regional Dick Perez; PLDT/Smart VP for Enterprise Customer Operations Management Finina Gorres; Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) Terminal Manager for LAO Ronald Estabillo; Laoag City Councilor Handy Lao; and PLDT AVP for Enterprise Fulfillment Management Kim Orbase. (Contributed photo) |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—As the Laoag International Airport (LIA) gears up for modernization, it has not forgotten everyone’s need to be connected to the internet while at the airport.
With this in mind, the LIA officials officially launched an ultra-fast public Wi-Fi on August 26, 2016.
Attended by airport personnel, local government units’ officials and representatives of the PLDT Group and its wireless unit Smart Communications, the public Wi-Fi was officially launched at the airport’s arrival area to provide fast and reliable internet service to all.
With a speed of 200 mbps but depending on the number of active users, Finina Tabuena-Gorres,PLDT and Smart Vice President for enterprise customer operations management sector said this new high speed service Wi-Fi offers internet service “without interruption, without delay and without the buffering.”
“Para ka makapag-download or stream ng video, you only need 2 mbps at the minimum. So, this is actually very, very fast compared to normal experience kahit sa bahay,” she explained.
As the northern gateway of Luzon, the Laoag airport ranks eighth out of the 18 major airports and other public transport hubs to have its free Wi-Fi installed in the first 100 days of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
With an initial investment of P1 billion earmarked this year for the first phase of the nationwide deployment of Smart Wi-Fi, Ms. Gorres hopes to bring in the same ultra-fast internet service to local government units including high density areas like schools, hospitals, malls and other public facilities to have good, fast and reliable internet connection.
In support of the Duterte administration’s internet for all program which he pointed out during his first State of the Nation Address, Ms. Gorres said it is also upon the corporate responsibility of the company, as a service provider, to have many beneficiaries as possible.
“It is something that we see of something permanent mainstay in Laoag. Mas nauna pa ang mga domestic airports kaysa sa NAIA 1, 2, 3. But we are already in the process of doing that now and we hope to be able to launch that in September,” she added.
For his part, Ronald Estabillo, Laoag airport manager said this is a welcome development for all airport stakeholders to have free internet access and makes them more productive citizens of the country.
“This is a big help for us especially our office because they also gave us free access. The free internet service also goes with our airport modernization because it is not enough that we are upgrading our facilities if we don’t have improved communication technology too,” Mr. Estabillo added.
The Department of Transportation and Communication and PLDT Smart signed earlier an agreement to strengthen data connectivity in airports, seaports, railways, train stations, and bus terminals across the country.
The nationwide rollout is backed by the group’s robust and resilient wireless and fixed-line network infrastructure, and is part of Smart’s three-year massive network modernization program to handle the expected rise in data traffic.