Source:
Philippines a Wi-Fi country soon | ABS-CBN News
Philippines to Roll Out Nationwide Free Wi-Fi Service by 2016 - Bloomberg Business
Phillipines to Roll-out Nationwide Free WiFi by 2016 - Fortune
details:
The Department of Science and Technology - Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) said these include the following:
1. Public Plazas and Parks
2. Public Primary and Secondary Central Schools
3. Public Libraries
4. Rural Health Units and Government Hospitals
5. State Universities and Colleges
6. Train Stations of the MRT and LRT systems
7. Airports and Seaports
8. City and Municipal Halls
9. National Government Offices
Each free public Wi-Fi zone will have an average of 256 kbps -- the lowest prevailing speed requirement for ''broadband'' service, according to the DOST-ICTO.
The ''Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places'' project has a total of P1.408 billion budget, as approved in the 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA), much higher than the proposed P339 million.
Director II Bongato said that
instead of the government putting up its own towers as Wi-Fi sources, the DOST-ICTO will seek the services of the country's telecommunication companies.
Bongato said the ultimate aim of the project is to have faster internet-based government services for the people, especially those in far-flung area.
"The Philippines is planning free Wi-Fi services to half of its towns and cities this year and nationwide coverage by end-2016, limiting the data revenue prospects for Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Globe Telecom Inc."
"If subscribers move to using free public Wi-Fi, telecoms may need to lure them into getting higher-end services,” Ibrahim said in a Sept. 4 interview in Makati City
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which is really weird..
the government plans was make telecoms eventually need to offer “higher-end services” to lure subscribers away from free government Wi-Fi... but to give free internet service, they need to purchase internet from these telecom providers instead of building their own internet towers.