Friday, March 29, 2024

Smart-powered Google Stations sprouting in universities across PH

For Psychology major and student council leader Edwin Basa, access to reliable connectivity is transforming the way he and his schoolmates do school work.

PLM student Edwin Basa

“Most of our homework these days involve a lot of researching on the Internet, so it’s really important for you to have access to the Internet wherever you are,” he said, adding that he also uses chat apps to communicate with fellow student council officers or group mates at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

His coursemates Jenny Japsay and Erwin Masangkay, freshmen at PLM, have also found on-campus access to the Internet via Wi-Fi particularly helpful.

“Many of our teachers already gather submissions online,” shared Masangkay.

“Some also hold online quizzes, or send out reviewers via e-mail,” Japsay added. “With Internet on campus, we get to participate in online discussions, download materials or upload our files easily,” she said.

For Basa, the Internet is also vital in facilitating collaboration. “Especially these days, when classes get suspended because of bad weather, you really have to be resourceful in order to get your homework submitted,” Basa said. “We can just do our meetings online, share materials and images via Messenger or email. Like this, we are able to meet our deadlines.”

These PLM university students are among the growing number of tertiary students benefiting from the Google Station service already available in over 100 tertiary schools nationwide.

Smart Communications has rolled out Google Station at universities and colleges in Metro Manila, Zambales, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, and Negros Occidental including PLM, Davao Doctors College, as well as campuses of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, City University of Pasay, and Benedicto College in Cebu.

These venues are part of the growing list of over 400 Google Station sites that Smart and Google Philippines announced in July 2019. Smart is set to launch the service in more universities nationwide in the coming months.

“Our goal in expanding this service to cover universities is to empower Filipino tertiary students, who can use our carrier-grade, world-class connectivity to work on their academic requirements, participate in their online classes, and overall, enhance the quality of life in their respective campuses,” said Juan Victor Hernandez, senior vice president and head of enterprise for PLDT and Smart.

“The Internet is a vital tool for today’s college students, and by making it more accessible across the nation, we are pitching in to improve the overall state of education in the country,” he added.

Fellow students Jenny Japsay and Erwin Masangkay

Smart is also bringing Google Stations to other heavy foot-traffic areas such as airports and other transportation hubs like bus stations and seaports, government offices, hospitals, and malls.

This nationwide rollout of Google Station complements Smart’s ongoing network expansion and modernization program across the Philippines.

For 2019, PLDT capex is expected to reach P78.4 billion, including allocations for the expansion of PLDT’s fiber broadband service, which also supports Smart’s mobile network by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations.

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