17 July 2009

Bringing technological marvels at PLM is among the top priority agenda of the Tamano presidency. Inspired by his education at the Harvard University, he believes that communication is foremost among the fundamental needs of scholars and academicians.

As part of the University Management’s advocacy of implementing technological advances to support the needs of the various stakeholders of the University, a signal boosting project was implemented by the IT Center for the SUN Cellular at no cost to PLM.

This project aimed to benefit immensely the various offices where SUN’s signal is nil, including those dead spots in various service areas like the Library’s basement and upper floors. Technological enhancements include:
3G & 2G signal boosting at dead spots
Additional voice channels inside PLM
Clearer reception & no dropped calls
Faster SMS and MMS interchange
3.5G next-generation broadband-ready
and many more features!

As a premier scholars’ university, PLM’s primary mandate is to educate the youth belonging to the financially-strapped spectrum of the society. As such, the majority of its 10,000-strong scholars patronize the “pro-poor” products of Sun Cellular. However, the signal of SUN around the campus is nil, including eminently critical areas in the University like the administrative and academic offices. Signal loss inhibits the use of official and private post-paid and prepaid lines -- at worst leading to communication breakdown.

To institute a permanent solution, representations were made with SUN on 09 March 2009 to initiate a technical study on the installation of repeaters and pico cells. SUN quickly responded and committed to invest heavily in favor of the PLM stakeholders.

During the ensuing ocular inspections, the project was received with utmost delight by the affected offices’ personnel and by the students. The signal boosting at dead spots was looked forward to with enthusiasm. Installation of state-of-the-art technology for WCDMA/HSDPA 3.5G, 3G and 2G mobile signals started on 17 July 2009. Now, even at the outskirts of the Library basement, where no telecom can ever penetrate, is now teeming with full bar.

This project is aimed at complementing the Top Management’s efforts to effectuate innovations in the University at various fronts -- certainly a value-added premium that the PLM community will hold dearly and appreciate even in the years to come.

HSDPA: High-speed Downlink Packet Access, an enhanced 3G (3rd Generation) mobile telephony communications protocol coined as 3.5G, 3G+ or turbo 3G.