Ang Dabawenyo

It all started when GlobeQuest (later known as Innove) connected Basti’s Brew in Victoria Plaza to the Internet and broadcast Davao’s first public wireless Internet signal. The service was offered free to the customers — at first, only as a promotional offer, but then the offer lasted for about a year! So when another coffee shop, Formula Pete’s, opened, I guess they thought it wise to offer free wifi access as well. Good for them and not so good for Basti’s because Innove had started charging for access by then. Lo and behold! it became a trend in Davao. Soon after, free wifi access to laptop-toting patrons were being offered at new and existing coffee shops. Hotels and bars and even malls followed suit as well. (What’s remarkable is NCCC’s mall-wide wireless connectivity.)

I think that this phenomenon is unique to Davao, because as far as I know, most wifi hotspots in the capital and in other urbanized cities are being offered for a fee. In big-name cafés in Metro Manila, for instance, 3rd-party providers charge for wireless Internet access, and the fees aren’t all that cheap either. What happened in Davao was simply the positive effects of sound business competition. And it sure is working quite nicely for Davao folk!

Here’s a list of free wifi hotspots that I already know about. If there are other places you know about, do let me know by leaving a comment here.

51 Coffee Shop, Victoria Plaza compound, beside MetroBank & Buffet Palace; Basti’s Brew @ Victoria Plaza & Legaspi St.; Blugré in Landco, Bajada; Bo’s Coffee Club, F. Torres St.; Casa Leticia, Camus St.; Copa Bossa in Tiangge, Ecoland (in front of SM City); Cups & lowercase, F. Torres St.; Formula Pete’s in Wheels n’ More Drive; Holiday Spa, F. Torres St.; K1 Family KTV, F. Torres St.; Kanto Bar in MTS, Matina; Kasagingan, F. Torres St.; NCCC Mall, Maa/Matina; and, Royal Mandaya Hotel, Palma Gil St.

Most of the hotspots here have good Internet connections; if I’m not mistaken, all of them are on DSL: PLDT myDSL, Innove, Pisolutions, BayanTel. From what I gather, people seem to be happiest in places where BayanTel DSL is connected. And where PLDT myDSL is, somehow the connection isn’t very reliable. Which is a wonder, because SmartBro — which is virtually in the same network as PLDT — is awesome.

Now, if we were talking about coffe, well, my personal favorite is the Americano (mild blend) of 51 Coffee Shop. Basti’s comes next in my list. Hmmm… I think I might do a survey soon.