Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and the University of the Philippines have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will advance the national university’s bid to become globally competitive.
Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by UP president Alfredo E. Pascual (above right) and Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea (above left), Smart will provide free wireless connectivity and access points to all the constituent universities of the University of the Philippines System across the country..
The MOA was signed at the UP Executive House in Diliman, Quezon City.
Under the agreement, websites whitelisted by Smart and UP can be accessed for free over WiFi inside UP campuses. Meanwhile, non-whitelisted sites can still be accessed for free for 30 minutes per day. Data usage beyond that period will be charged the usual rates.
- Smart will initially install 120 hotspots in various UP campuses, and set up eight new base stations to add to the six that are already inside UP.
- This move is in support of the integrated computerization of the University under the eUP project, a key initiative under UP’s Strategic Plan which aims to make the country’s one and only national university more competitive in the region and in the world.
- UP officials said the computerization project will provide an integrated, interconnected, harmonized, and interoperable ICT network within and across all the constituent universities of UP.
“We have to start somewhere, right now — as they say in UP — kung hindi tayo, sino; kung di ngayon, kailan? This MOA signing is a good way to help make the eUP project a reality. We’re in this together,” said Vea, who is a UP alumnus.
A Smart partner in educational initiatives
Smart is a committed partner in reinforcing education and development programs that benefit the students and the nation. Its continuous support to students and universities is demonstrated in the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), its partnership with the UP Open University (UPOU). Smart and UPOU are jointly offering courses on Android Mobile Applications Development, and Technopreneurship, via the massive online open course (MOOC) model.
Under its Smart Schools Program, Smart has instituted various customized programs that cater to the specific needs of learning communities from primary up to the tertiary level in a bid to help enhance Philippine education using mobile and web technologies.
