By Nympha G. Borromeo, StratCom Intern

Students and employees of the Mariano Marcos State University - Currimao Campus now have a high-speed internet connection with the installation of the Starlink Internet in the college on May 5. 

A first higher education institution in Region I, the new internet broadband system is a project between the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-Region I and MMSU, in partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. 

Prof. Wilben Christie Pagtaconan, director of MMSU information technology center, said Starlink offers a bandwidth of 350 megabytes per second, which enables users to upload and download files, stream videos, and participate in online classes more smoothly. It also provides low latency, which is beneficial for video conferencing and other real-time applications. 

“With the implementation of this project in the College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology, we now have a more reliable and stable internet connection,” said Prof. Ernesto Del Rosario, Jr., college dean. He thanked the university administration led by MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, the DICT-Region I, and SpaceX for making this initiative possible. 

DICT and SpaceX are deploying Starlink in tertiary schools as one way of providing quality learning resources for the education sector and in bridging digital divide in the country. 

In 2022, the DICT, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program, also implemented the “Free Wi-Fi for All” initiative in the MMSU campuses in Batac, Laoag, and Dingras. MMSU is the first of 24 higher education institutions in Region 1 which are benefitting from the project. (HLY/JVBT/DPT, StratCom)