Agriculture student try sowing benefits of connectivity

Tawi Tawi Agricultural College at Mindanao, Philippines gets high-speed, uncapped and unlimited connectivity through the efforts of Zenar Telecommunications Inc., a member-partner of unconnected.org. 

Students from the said school are now using the Internet to do supplementary course materials, online research as well as looking for internship opportunities. 

ZTI operates its broadband network in the municipality, however, there remains Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) where commercial telecommunications coverage is still a challenge and so is running a fiber infrastructure. 

This is when use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite comes into play, especially for areas with challenging terrain. 

In addition to its nature of being rapidly deployable, use of satellites also lessens impacts of various factors such as susceptibility to infrastructure damages, as there are no fiber cuts, that affects service delivery. 

The community model also becomes an effective tool for sustaining last-mile networks such as the one deployed by ZTI, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for students, but also promoting affordable access to individuals within close proximity to the school.

“These students are our future. ZTI is investing in tools, such as the Internet, that they can use to participate in today’s digital world,” said Arnold Arbillera, CEO, ZTI.