Cagayan de Oro City LGU provides free internet access to barangays through PLDT Enterprise

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the country’s largest integrated telco PLDT, has teamed up with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to several barangays covering the logistics and business hubs in Northern Mindanao. As an integral part of the smart city push, CDO City is working closely with PLDT Enterprise to ensure that all its 80 barangays have free Wi-Fi access.

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of telecom giant PLDT Inc., and the City of Cagayan de Oro LGU signed a partnership agreement to provide free internet access to the barangays of CDO City—the logistics and business center of Northern Mindanao. CDO City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy led the signing of the free Wi-Fi access agreement as part of his administration’s push to make the region a Smart City. PLDT Enterprise is represented in the contract signing by Senior Relationship Manager Anthony Khass Navales (3rd from left, front row). Also present during the event are (from left, top row) CDO City Councilors John Michael Seno, Atty. Joey Abbu, Roger Abaday, Edgar Cabanlas, Yan Lam Lim, Romeo Calizo, Maria Lourdes Gaane, and James Judith II. In the front row, from left, are City Council members Suzette Magtajas-Daba and Yevonna Yacine Emano, PLDT Enterprise’s Navales, Mayor Uy, and Judee Caroline Chaves, Smart’s Mindanao Relations Head.

“We take great pride in continuously supporting CDO City's digital transformation journey through cutting-edge digital solutions,” says Mitch Locsin, First Vice President and Head of Enterprise and International Business Groups at PLDT and Smart. “As their chosen ally for digital transformation, we remain dedicated to delivering the services and solutions necessary to drive our partners' visions forward.”

PLDT Enterprise will provide free BEYOND FIBER solutions, a connectivity service with a minimum speed of 90Mbps and a reliability of 90% from the 100Mbps subscription, and Cisco’s Meraki Access Points that work seamlessly and dynamically with cloud-managed network switches, Internet of Things devices, and various security solutions.

Over the past five years, Ookla Speedtest Awards have recognized PLDT Enterprise’s broadband network as the fastest in the country in providing internet access to its millions of users, lifting connectivity speeds consistently every year through network upgrade and expansion, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“PLDT Enterprise is committed to collaborate with the government to ensure that their constituents remain well-informed and updated on their initiatives. Our fast and reliable network plays a crucial role in enabling the government to facilitate enhanced interactions, build trust, and promote transparency and accessibility among its constituents,” says Kent De la Calzada, Assistant Vice President & Head of Customer Relationship Management in Visayas and Mindanao at PLDT Enterprise.

CDO City is home to more than 728,000 residents and was listed by the Department of Trade and Industry as among the “Top 10 Most Competitive Cities” among highly urbanized cities category in 2022.

CDO City Mayor Rolando Uy expressed his appreciation for the free internet access that PLDT Enterprise will bring to his constituents, especially to the more than 120,000 public school students in the city.

“This initiative of PLDT Enterprise dovetails with the city government’s effort to bridge the digital divide and empower our constituents as well as transform CDO City as a Smart City,” says Mayor Uy.

Mayor Uy has highlighted recently that one of his administration’s priorities is the establishment of CDO City as a Smart City—a regional center for Northern Mindanao that uses information and communication technology as well as data science to improve government services, vehicular traffic flow, emergency response, peace and order, and efficiency in facilitating investments and business operations.

Locsin added that PLDT Enterprise recognizes the increasing demand for and appreciation of data among local government units and supports initiatives along these lines by providing digital solutions to promote innovation and faster information dissemination.