The Philippines’ Globe Telecom extended its free Wi-Fi service to all 20 light-rail train (LRT) stations in Manila, after signing a deal with Light Rail Manila Corp.

Globe said it plans to deploy fiber and add cell sites in each of the LRT stations.

“Globe also will deploy its new 700, 1,800, 2,600MHz spectrum to provide adequate capacity to handle the massive mobile traffic volume at these stations,” said Joel Agustin, Globe SVP for programme governance.

Globe recently gained access to the 700MHz band and acquired additional allocation in the 1.8 and 2.6GHz frequencies following its joint buyout of San Miguel’s telecoms assets in May.

In June the operator signed an agreement with the Metro Railway Transit allowing it to provide free Wi-Fi services in all 13 MRT stations along EDSA Boulevard. In addition, it installed macro sites and small cells in the stations to expand its network capacity.

“We recognise customer demand for constant connectivity even as they are on the go. We are confident that the deployment of free Wi-Fi services in all LRT stations will bring better communication or even improve work productivity for our customers,” Agustin said.