Pisonet
{{short description|Internet provision in the Philippines}}
File:First Peso Net.jpg. Under the mouse is a keyboard stored in a keyboard tray that can be closed when the machine is not in use.]]
A pisonet is a
The rates usually start from {{Currency|10|PHP}} ({{Currency|0.18|USD}}) and can vary from cafe to cafe,{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=AB Digital |title=PISO WiFi allows customers to use the internet by paying in real-time |url=https://www.benzinga.com/node/26564929 |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Benzinga |language=English}} with access to the computer or wireless access point given to the paying user for a limited time akin to an arcade machine.{{cite news|last1=Ocampo|first1=Yas D|title=Piso-net operators needs info on Internet cafe law {{!}} Mindanao Times|url=http://mindanaotimes.net/piso-net-operators-needs-info-on-internet-cafe-law/|accessdate=12 December 2016|work=mindanaotimes.net|date=11 March 2016}}
Construction
Pisonet machines are typically built from inexpensive desktop computers running Microsoft Windows,{{Cite web |date=2017-08-22 |title=How to Start a Pisonet or an Internet Cafe Business in the Philippines |url=https://tycoon.ph/pisonet-internet-cafe-business-philippines/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=tycoon.ph |language=en-US}} though some pisonet operators have also made arcade machine conversions of video game consoles such as Xbox 360s modified with pirated copies of popular games pre-installed.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
A variation of pisonet is the Piso Wifi vending machine, which is a wireless access point modified to allow paying customers to get wireless internet access on their mobile devices for a small fee.
These vending machines combine a coin-operated mechanism with wireless connectivity, allowing users to insert coins and gain internet access for a set amount of time. Piso WiFi systems are built with components like single-board computers (e.g., Raspberry Pi or Orange Pi), coin acceptors, microSD storage, and routers. They provide an inexpensive alternative to traditional internet subscriptions, making them especially popular in low-income communities and areas with limited connectivity.
Piso WiFi machines operate through a simple captive portal system. Users connect to the network and are redirected to a login page, where they can insert coins to activate their internet time. The system tracks usage and provides features like pausing time and inputting voucher codes for extended access. {{Cite web |date=April 9, 2025 |title=10.0.0.1 - 10.0.0.0.1 LPB Piso WiFi Pause Time & Admin Login |url=https://routeradminlogin.com/lpb |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Router Admin Login}}
History
Pisonet was invented during the early 2010s. Internet access has not improved much with 60% of poor neighborhoods in Manila lacking basic internet access. The COVID-19 pandemic in the country affected pisonet operations as lockdown rules significantly affected public gatherings including internet shops, on top of local telecommunications firms now offering subsidized access to popular social media services on mobile phones.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-17|title=These vending machines sell internet access five minutes at a time|url=https://restofworld.org/2022/philippines-pisonet-internet-access/|access-date=2022-01-19|website=Rest of World|language=en-US}}{{Cite book |last=Yamamoto |first=Nobuto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XyiUEAAAQBAJ&dq=pisonet&pg=PA212 |title=The COVID-19 Pandemic and Risks in East Asia: Media, Social Reactions, and Theories |date=2022-11-29 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-78913-3 |pages=211–212 |language=en}}
Security and obscenity concerns
Owing to limited knowledge of technology and computer security by pisonet operators–most of them being middle-aged or elderly micro-entrepreneurs who also run sari-sari stores–user security and oversight over the patrons' use of the terminals are often lax, making it trivial for them to browse obscene material such as pornographic websites. As a result, crackdowns and regulations on pisonet terminals have been proposed in various cities and municipalities.{{Cite web |last=Llemit |first=Ralph Lawrence G. |date=2019-09-25 |title=No more gaming for minors on weekdays |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/no-more-gaming-for-minors-on-weekdays |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=SunStar |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Tellería |first=Ana Serrano |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LgQoDwAAQBAJ&dq=pisonet&pg=PA90 |title=Between the Public and Private in Mobile Communication |date=2017-06-14 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-315-39929-4 |language=en}}
The city of Lapu-Lapu in Cebu also expressed plans to ban the operation of pisonet terminals owing to concerns over their use to browse pornographic material, though the proposed ordinance was opposed by city councilors who argued that the ban would unfairly affect lower-income youths who depend on inexpensive public internet access for school work.{{Cite news |last=Inso |first=Futch Anthony |date=2018-06-08 |title=Total ban on 'pisonet' operations not legally possible – councilors |url=https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/178819/total-ban-pisonet-operations-not-legally-possible-councilors |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Cebu Daily News |language=en}}
See also
- Microsoft FlexGo, a pay-as-you-go system for computers in developing countries
References
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- [https://PisoWifiPauseTime.ph 10.0.0.1 Piso Wifi Pause Time]
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