Unli WiFi seeks bigger local reach

Provider of free internet connectivity, YES! Free WiFi, is planning to expand its reach, as they are now being felt in over 70 locations nationwide.

Operated by Cebu-based J&K Impex Group Corp., the service connects Filipinos nationwide for free and allows businesses to promote their brands and businesses.

JP Mercado, YES! Free WiFi managing director, said the vision behind the YES! Free WiFi platform is to offer the Filipino public free internet.

A collaboration between marketing agency Craft Shack Inc. and its technical services partner FOC Inc./Artbi Global Philippine Corp., YES! Free WiFi also aims to make the internet more accessible to Filipinos and help bridge the gap in the nation’s connectivity.

The service has been quietly rolling out across the country beginning with the Manila City Hall and the Manila Zoo in 2023.

Since then, it has expanded to 77 locations nationwide.

By the end of this year, YES! Free WiFi aims to expand its reach to over 500 locations, and by 2025 surpass 1,000 sites, Mercado said.

While various telcos and institutions offer free public WiFi, these often require payment after a limited time of access — which is a major roadblock in a society where the priority of most is putting food on the table.

“And that pain point is mainly what we wanted to address through YES! Free WiFi — it’s free and offers repeated access, as long as users keep engaging,” Mercado said. “Connect. Engage with Ads. Enjoy free WiFi minutes — it’s that simple to use YES! Free WiFi, and it is also now that simple for brands to connect with their consumers.”

Ads take care of costs

YES! Free WiFi, through its YES! Ad Solutions provides brands with real-time awareness and engagement opportunities while enhancing consumers’ connectivity.

Advertisers can choose from a variety of ad formats (photos, videos, surveys, among others) to promote their products and services to a targeted audience in a specific location.

Earlier this year, global think tank group Stratbase Institute highlighted the need to further develop the country’s internet connectivity systems, stating that the Philippines lags compared to its Asian counterparts.

“There is much room for improvement. While we enjoy near-universal 4G coverage, and a promising 5G coverage at 70 percent, we are still lagging behind the mobile broadband speeds in Southeast Asia, ” according to Profesor Victor Andres Manhit, president of Stratbase Institute.

While Stratbase commended the government’s Broadband ng Masa Program as a critical component of the push toward digital transformation and inclusivity, it added there needs to be a greater push for improvement.

The program seeks to provide internet connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas across the archipelago.

“Accessibility, affordability, consistency are equally crucial to social development and inclusivity as internet speed and reliability,” Manhit said.

“The program empowers citizens, businesses, and the economy, thus playing a pivotal role in the country’s digital journey,” he continued.

On the other hand, global connectivity intelligence firm Ookla stated in a report that the Philippines recorded an average fixed broadband speed of 93.05 megabits per second and a download speed of 93.31 Mbps in January 2024.