UP System taps telco for ICT program

SMART Communications Inc. (Smart) is deploying its wireless technologies and solutions in support of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) efforts to automate and integrate its information systems, transactions and services across constituent universities nationwide via a program called “eUP”.

eUP is a three-year initiative that will improve not only the academic transactions in UP, but also the information exchange among its campuses nationwide, in line with its efforts to achieve operational excellence.

“UP is a national university, as declared in the UP Charter of 2008. We are now the face of this country to the world in terms of learning. We need to bring UP to the next level of excellence and for us to do that, we need to have the enabling environment — efficient systems to support what we’re doing to ensure academic excellence,” said UP president Alfredo Pascual during the eUP kick-off meeting.

Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando Vea, a UP alumnus, said Smart’s involvement in this initiative “is right down our alley,” describing its impact as “very, very significant to UP.”

Plans include the provision of “carrier-grade, industrial-strength” WiFi connectivity, installation of a fiber network to guarantee the bandwidth needed for UP’s voice, SMS and data requirements, assistance on UP’s server requirements, integration of courses like Android and technopreneurship in UP’s Open University, the setting up of wireless laboratories and the provision of the Infoboard, Smart’s SMS and Web-based information system that can be easily deployed among communities.

Vea added that Smart is also in discussions with UP on the provision of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technology, which would make the national university “one of the first LTE deployments in the country.” LTE promises breakneck Internet connection speeds of 50 to 70mbps.