Wireless services provider Smart is bolstering the digital learning tools of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP) in the new normal for education.
Together with parent company PLDT, Smart is setting up an e-commerce platform for DLSP called the Animo Smart Store. It is a customized portal that will make it convenient for students and staff to browse through Smart’s connectivity solutions via a link on the official website of De La Salle schools across the country.
“We are always ready with solutions for the academe so that faculty and students can continue their education and be confident that they are supported by fully-capable learning institutions despite all the challenges,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart Communications President and CEO and PLDT Chief Revenue Officer.
Edgar O. Chua, De La Salle Philippines President said the De La Salle network of schools is very happy to work with PLDT-Smart. “The partnership provides a one stop shop where the school and students can conveniently get everything that suits their need at prices that wouldn’t normally be available to them. Animo Smart Store has also given Lasallians a store they can identify with and be proud of.”
DLSP is the network of Lasallian schools in the Philippines established to facilitate collaboration among the schools, which includes mission schools as well as universities and colleges. Over 80,000 students from 16 member schools across the country, as well as faculty members and non-teaching personnel, will gain access to exclusive deals and offers for the De La Salle community not available at PLDT-Smart physical stores and official online shops.
“With connectivity critical in ensuring delivery and access to learning content, the Animo Smart Store enables members of DLSP with customized and special connectivity packages that will be easy and convenient for their students to access,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.
“The Animo Smart Store is a convenient gateway for DLSP students and teachers to browse through Smart’s connectivity solutions. They will also enjoy exclusive discounts for prepaid load and wireless devices such as mobile phones and Smart Bro pocket WiFi. We’re also waiving shipping fees for purchases made on the platform,” said Jane Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Business – Wireless at Smart. “Our partnership with DLSP shows our commitment to equip Filipino students with the connectivity they need in the new normal,” she added.
Smart has been ramping up its connectivity offering with the GigaLife App offering students, as well as teachers, the convenience of keeping close tabs on their internet use. The platform enables prepaid subscribers to check their balance, monitor their data usage, and register to promos with just a few taps on their smartphone. They can also link all their other Smart and TNT accounts in the app. The GigaLife App also gives postpaid customers the convenience of paying their monthly bill anytime and anywhere.
Even before the public health crisis wreaked havoc on economies worldwide, DLSP has been eyeing hybrid learning. The partnership with Smart couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time as the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to utilize different platforms for learning including broadcast and the internet.
“For most of 2020, remote learning has been the norm and even when we start returning to pre-COVID 19, education will most likely continue to have a component of remote learning combined with face-to-face classes. As such, connectivity is so critical to enable the delivery of education now and into the future,” said Chua.
PLDT-Smart realizes this. Panlilio shared that heading into 2021, the PLDT group is pouring more resources to help combat the disruption brought about by Covid-19, “Digital will play a major role in restarting the economy, that is why we are ramping up next year’s capital spending to between P88 billion and P92 billion, higher by at least 25% compared this year. We are also committed to support digital learning because we believe that no learner should be left behind.”
The group’s investments in the expansion and improvement of its infrastructure have been paying off. As of November 2020, PLDT’s transport network or fiber optic network spans 422,000 kilometers, the most extensive in the country. On the wireless side, Smart LTE is the country’s fastest mobile data network as certified by third-party mobile analytics firms such as Opensignal and Ookla.
In its November 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report for the Philippines, Opensignal noted that Smart remained ahead of the competition as it bagged five Mobile Experience Awards, including Best in 4G Availability, Best in 4G Coverage, Best in Video Experience; Best in Upload Speed Experience; and Best in Download Speed Experience.
On the other hand, Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, recently named Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network in the first half of 2020 after it achieved a Speed Score™ of 18.33, with average speeds of 15.94 Mbps for download, and 7.57 Mbps for upload, based on 2,810,963 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest®.
PLDT and Smart have been working with different stakeholders in the education sector to come up with solutions that will help schools and students adapt to challenges in the new normal. Interested schools may reach out to RMGarcia@smart.com.ph for inquiries.
