Smart Enables Free WiFi for New COVID-19 Healthcare facilities

As part of its efforts to equip COVID-19 medical front liners with reliable data connectivity, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is providing fast, free and 24/7 Smart WiFi to several major newly-activated COVID-19 facilities.

Smart is rolling out carrier-grade fiber-powered Smart WiFi to the Ninoy Aquino Stadium at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the Philippine International Convention Center Tent and the World Trade Center.

These large venues have been converted into COVID-19 treatment facilities that will handle persons under monitoring (PUMs) and patients under investigation (PUIs).

Smart has also installed Wifi connectivity at the La Salle Greenhills campus in Mandaluyong which now houses health workers from nearby hospitals.

These WiFi installations, which have a capacity of up to 1 Gigabyte per second, are the latest in PLDT-Smart’s ongoing efforts to provide communications support to frontline agencies and their personnel such as the departments of health, transportation, public works, the armed forces and police, local governments and non-governmental organizations in different parts of the country.

"These new quarantine sites will decongest hospitals in Metro Manila, thus reducing community transmission while protecting our health care workers. We'd like to thank Smart for providing high-speed WiFi. This will help the facility managers to coordinate with one another as well as patients so that they can keep in touch with their families and loved ones”, said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

"A major focus of our activities at PLDT and Smart this time is to arm frontliners in the fight against COVID with strong connectivity and innovative digital tools. We look forward to more of this type of collaboration with government and non-governmental organizations," said Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman and CEO of PLDT.

Smart WiFi connectivity is also available in provincial capitols, city and municipal halls across the country, which are being used as a base of operations for local government logistics, transportation and relief, as well as in hospitals, supermarkets and convenience stores.

PLDT is a telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines. Through its principal business groups – fixed line, wireless and others – PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone, and fixed line and cellular networks.

PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American Depositary Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI). PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine-listed companies.