CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Four barangay leaders here have observed work efficiency and improvement in serving the public because of free access to Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) network. In a statement Wednesday, Lapasan Barangay Chairperson Julito Ogsimer said his barangay was one of the beneficiaries of the Wi-Fi project of Smart Communications Inc., which also forged a retail partnership that provides additional sources of livelihood for the communities. Barangay Tablon Chairperson Billy Kid Auza said the public Wi-Fi service helps barangay workers and residents with their online transactions and students with distance learning. Jericho Balbuena, Tablon's Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program Manager, said it helped expedite their work. "We can easily conduct research and quickly send out reports to our stakeholders," he said. In Barangay Gusa, the free access to internet supports the village's response against the Covid-19 pandemic. Jose Victor Espiritu of Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) said it helped them with contact tracing and other programs to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Antonio Glema, secretary in Barangay Bulua, said the free Wi-Fi helped in sending out announcements such as the National ID registration for the residents. The free Wi-Fi services will also be extended to public terminals and markets, as well as key government offices in the city. Confiscation of 'repeaters' In Lanao del Sur, Globe Telecom has partnered with the Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission (BTC) in February in a "scanning activity," that led to the confiscation of more than 50 illegal repeaters in Lanao del Sur through the help of the police and military. A signal booster or repeater is a device used for boosting the signal from a cell tower. It works by receiving, amplifying, and rebroadcasting a signal within a specific area. Lawyer Froilan Castelo, Globe general counsel, said illegal signal boosters and repeaters negate the efforts of telecommunication companies to expand their capability and connectivity through massive infrastructure investments. "We are exerting so much effort in making the mobile and internet experience more enjoyable for our customers, especially in these times when connectivity is an essential part of every Filipino household. But our network expansion and upgrade will be useless if there are people who continue to use illegal repeaters and disrupt the network," Castelo said in a statement. Before the operations, Globe met with BTC Commissioner Muhammad Ameen Abbas to discuss the rampant use of illegal boosters in the region. Both sides agreed to educate, stop, and discourage people from buying and using the equipment. A task force was also established to oversee the activity. (PNA) }