The internet is popular among Filipinos. In fact, according to the latest study, the Philippines is second in the world with the most online consumers. Even so, when the lockdown obligated everyone to shift online, students throughout many remote parts of the country were forced to climb trees and even mountain peaks to connect to a network. While they are also digital natives, traveling to other barangays to submit homework or carry out research has become a part of their lives.
The Asia Foundation disclosed a surprising result 3 years ago, only 26% of public schools in the country can use and connect to the internet. Because distant training has no sign of slowing down, internet connectivity has become a requirement. Teaching staff, personnel, and students in remote regions are not just explicitly excluded but also left behind while they do not have internet access.
ACCESS Mindanao, a university-led regional development program, has successfully used Ka-band satellite technology to break down barriers in the Mindanao region.
Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Ateneo de Davao University and Project Lead of ACCESS Mindanao, said the program aspires to raise the quality of life in isolated areas through convenient and cost-effective satellite connectivity. Academic institutions with internet access become digital hubs for their neighborhoods, and students can study and research online. At the same time, teachers and administrators can use online educational tools, enlist students in classes, and administer exams.
Because satellite technology does not rely on large, pricey cell sites or vast fiber cable channels, it is opportune to serve the Philippines with its 7,640 islands. Individuals from remote places or mountainous regions can use satellite broadband because it simply relies on having a clear line of sight. It is challenging for most large telecoms to access the rural and isolated locations because the cost to connect lower population density groups is too expensive. As a result, people from these areas have no dependable Internet connectivity to spur economic and national development.
ACCESS Mindanao preferred satellite internet from Kacific as it best matched the project’s connectivity criteria and allowed it to grow the number of sites covered. Kacific 1, a Ka-band high throughput satellite that uses focused spot beams to deliver stable, high-speed, and affordable broadband internet to rural people through 1.2m antennas that are simple to install, provides Kacific’s services. The Ka-band network can reach speeds up to 100Mbps – without delay, for video chats, photo uploading, files, and films.
“The Future of Space Communication” is how NASA describes Ka-band because it transmits data quicker than lower frequency bands. It results in substantially faster speeds at a lower cost. One challenge scientists had to overcome coming to this innovation is ‘rain fade’, which occurs when heavy rain affects the signal from space. Ka-band satellites have combated various solutions for rain-fade, and these satellites have been the governments and private organizations’ first choice because it is affordable. They have consistent internet connectivity to under-served communities.
Accessible and inexpensive internet can now, more than ever, help young people gain faster access to educational resources and potentially life-changing opportunities. In the Philippines, the Ka-band satellite internet demonstrates to be an effective tool to aid accessibility.
If you want to connect to fast, affordable internet services today, call Transpacific Broadband Group, Inc. (TBGI) at (02) 8404 0239 / (04) 5599-3042 or visit http://tbgi.net.ph.
