CEBU CITY – The city of Cebu City has announced the completion of a significant project to establish Wi-Fi hotspots in public schools, barangay halls, public markets, and sports gymnasiums across all 80 villages. This initiative, overseen by the city government's information technology office, aims to provide widespread internet access to the community.
According to Philippines News Agency, assistant head of the Management Information and Computer Services (MICS), the project enables learners to access free internet connection in various public spaces within their respective villages. This development follows the city government's allocation of PHP8 million towards funding the interconnectivity project to benefit the public.
Ordesta revealed that the MICS office completed the installation of Wi-Fi devices in 22 rural barangays this month, achieving full hotspot coverage across all 80 villages in Cebu City. The initiative began last year with the installation of hotspots in 50 barangays, predominantly in urban areas, providing citizens of Cebu City with direct, free internet access. The expansion of this project now includes mountain barangays as well.
For learners in schools, the program offers an hour of free internet connectivity daily using public hotspots, which can be accessed without requiring a password. The uptown village of Lorega-San Miguel has recorded the highest utilization rate of this free internet connection, as per the MICS monitoring report.
MICS continues to monitor hotspot utilization in all barangays using a dashboard provided by the service provider, PLDT. This initiative aligns with the Wireless Internet Access for Educational Institution Ordinance authored in 2018 by Cebu City South District Rep. Eduardo Rama Jr., then a member of the Cebu City Council. The ordinance advocates for free Internet connectivity in schools and public places in Cebu City.