Gov’t inaugurates free public WiFi on EDSA

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) inaugurated its free public Wi-Fi service for the whole of EDSA on Monday, Independence Day.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella gave the keynote address at a formal launch event at the central terminal of the MRT at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

"It has been shown that internet penetration correlates closely with economic growth," Abella said.

Abella used the opportunity to turn public attention albeit briefly to the fallen soldiers in the Marawi conflict, for whom he offered a moment of silence.

DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima said that initial tests of the new service—which is jointly provided by the government and local telco rivals Smart Communications and Globe Telecom—is capable of speeds in excess of 300Mbps.

However, he said that this was under ideal conditions and that the DICT will monitor actual public usage closely over the coming days.

For now, the service is available to commuters plying EDSA on the MRT and at ground level, between the Guadalupe and Cuba MRT stations. The entire 24-kilometer stretch of EDSA is expected to go online by August.

The government and both telcos assured the public of the security of their connections, pointing out that the service cannot be used for streaming and that users' handles are masked thereby preventing would-be snoopers from attempting to hack into users' devices. — RSJ, GMA News