Olongapo Telecom & Information Technology

Saturday, June 04, 2005

BETA BROADCASTING

Image Hosted by ImageShack.usBETA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.
8 Kessing St., Olongapo City 2200
Tel: 222-3175, 224-7619 email: dwslfm@hvisions.com


June 04, 2005



KGD EDWIN PIANO
Sangguniang Panlungsod
Olongapo City


Sir:

This refers to the pending application of GV Broadcasting System, Inc. with the City Council for a permit to operate and maintain an FM Radio Broadcast Station in the City of Olongapo. To this date, there are four (4) including one inside SBMA operating FM stations in the City, two (2) active AM Stations and an inactive AM station, with spill-over from almost all Metro Manila stations.

With the current economic problems of the country, and considering that the advertising market is not growing, in fact getting smaller, the addition of another broadcast station will put the financial viability of the local broadcast industry in peril. This will also create a bad perception that businesses operating in this city are losing. Furthermore, broadcast service will deteriorate thus depriving the community of good quality broadcast.

We humbly request the Honorable Members of the City Council to take this into consideration in the Council’s deliberation on the application of GV Broadcasting System, Inc. to operate and maintain another FM Radio Station in the City of Olongapo.

Thank you very much and more power.



Very truly yours,


POLYNE M. LLANORA
Beta Broadcasting System, Inc.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Subic Broadcasting Corp.

Hon. James “Bong” Gordon
Mayor
Olongapo City

Dear Sir:

This has reference to the application of GV Broadcasting System, Inc. to National Telecommunications Commission for the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience to Install, Operate, and Maintain FM Radio Broadcast Station in Olongapo City.

In this regard, may I voice out my apprehension and express my opposition to the proposed entry of another Commercial FM Radio Broadcast Station in Olongapo City. Radio and TV Broadcasting business is already saturated with more than enough stations to cater the over-all combined market of Olongapo City and Subic Bay Freeport Zone lest, to allow the operation of a new Station would definitely mean certain death on all the existing. The fact is that we have a small market for broadcast and it can barely sustain the current existing local commercial stations.

At present, the Broadcast Stations operating in Olongapo City are:
• FM Stations; DWSL, DWOK and DWSB
• AM Stations; DWGO, and DWHL
• TV Stations; STV6 & TVRO Channel 2

Thank you very much and I hope this will merit your kind and favorable response.

Very truly yours,



(sgd)Andy B. Magcale
Station Manager


CC: Vice Mayor Paulino/City Council/ file

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

RP losing software engineers, digital animators to India, Singapore

... figures cited are anecdotal; the actual numbers could be higher

By MARICEL E. ESTAVILLO, Reporter

Exodus of Filipino information technology (IT) workers to India and Singapore is expected to continue as these two countries gear up their digital animation and software development industries.

Frank Holz, chief executive officer of IT consulting firm Outsource2Philippines, said in an interview that Singapore employs around 7,000 Filipino engineers for its software development industry to date. Mr. Holz said he got the number during a recent meeting with Singaporean trade officials.

Mr. Holz added that the number could be bigger as the figure at hand is only anecdotal. There is no readily available data yet on the actual number of IT professionals working in software development houses in Singapore and in other countries.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) showed that the country sent 933,588 overseas foreign workers last year and 344,058 more from January to April this year...

... read the whole story at
http://itmatters.com.ph/news/news_06012005a.html

Digitel Earmarks $200M For Mobile Op In 2006

Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (DGTL.PH), or Digitel, on Wednesday said it has earmarked about $200 million in capital spending for its Sun cellular operation next year.

The capital expenditure program will enable Digitel to accommodate an estimated 10 million mobile phone subscribers by end-2006, said Digitel in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

The amount matches the $200 million Digitel allotted for mobile phone network capacity expansion this year.

"The 2006 budget for capital expenses will be sourced either through foreign- denominated credits, bank financing, or financial leasing," said Digitel.

Digitel is a unit of JG Summit Holdings Inc. (JGS.PH), the investment holding company of Philippine tycoon John Gokongwei. Digitel started offering its cellular service in early 2003 and after nearly two years, it has - with its unlimited text and call offering - taken a small share of a market dominated by Smart Communications Inc., a unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. ( PHI), and Globe Telecom Inc. (GLO.PH).

-By Micheline R. Millar, Dow Jones Newswires; 632-885-0288; micheline.millar@dowjones.com

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Ex-NTC chief wants NTC abolished following ruling

By Erwin Lemuel Oliva INQ7.net


FORMER National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) chief Joseph Santiago sought the abolition of the NTC on Monday.

This was in reaction to a recent provisional order issued by the regulatory body last week.

NTC had issued a new regulatory policy effectively scrapping network quality standards previously imposed on mobile phone operators.

Under these new NTC guidelines, operators may set their own minimum service performance standards for new price plans, as long as these standards are disclosed to the NTC and the subscribing public.

Under previous NTC policy guidelines, operators were required to maintain a Grade of Service (GOS) of at least seven percent and a dropped call rate (DCR) of no more than five percent.

The policy means that for a network to be considered efficient, at least 93 out of every 100 calls should succeed on the first attempt. In addition, no more than five out of 100 calls should be prematurely and involuntarily terminated.

Santiago, now a member of the House of Representatives, said that the NTC "has voluntarily rendered itself toothless" with this new policy direction.

"In its latest ruling, the commission virtually surrendered its power to set and require compliance with minimum network performance standards to the very operators that are supposed to be regulated by the agency," Santiago added in a statement.

"The NTC has just committed hara-kiri. What is the point of Congress giving the agency public funds for spending? We might as well abolish the commission," he added.

Santiago also said that NTC's new policy guideline is just pathetic. "The NTC's idea of upholding network efficiency standards is to allow CMTS operators to set their own rules. What the commissioners do not dare admit is that the NTC does not even have the ability to determine if the operators are in fact complying with their self-imposed standards," he continued.

The NTC, Santiago pointed out, in fact, has neither been conducting network efficiency tests regularly nor sanctioning violators of previously set performance standards.

"This is totally wrongful. The NTC seems to be rewarding operators that have not been complying with mandatory performance standards. The commission also appears to be punishing operators that have invested large sums to build up their networks in order to comply with the minimum standards," Santiago added.

NTC officials declined to comment when asked by INQ7.net to react to Santiago's statement.

"During our watch, we worked hard to strengthen the NTC and make it a more effective instrument for the public interest. Sadly, the existing NTC leadership appears bent on emasculating the commission and on undermining its legal and moral authority," Santiago said.

NTC issued the new order pending resolution of the administrative cases earlier filed by Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) and Innove Communications Inc. against Digital Mobile Philippines Inc., operator of Sun Cellular, for alleged violations of NTC Memo Circular 07-06-2002.

Piltel, a sister firm of Smart Communications Inc., and Innove, an affiliate of Globe Telecom Inc., had alleged that Sun Cellular was operating well below the network efficiency standards set by the NTC circular.

Monday, May 30, 2005

World Summit on the Information Society


Mabuhay!

This is to formally announce the launching of the World Summit Awards Philippines selection of best products in e-content and creativity. A worldwide event in the framework of the World Summit on the Information Society, the World Summit Awards aims to promote the creation of quality websites and digitalization of educational, scientific, and cultural heritage with the lofty goal of bridging the digital divide and narrowing the content gap.

Biggest telecom show at WTC


The biggest telecommunications show will be staged for four days in June as leaders of the telecom industry converge at COMMWORLD ’05, THE 3rd International Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Electronics, Information Technology & E-Commerce Exhibition and Conference, jointly organized by the Philippines Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) and the country’s largest trade show organizer, Global Link Marketing & Management Services Inc. (GMM).

“As the industry continues to enjoy massive growth and the consumer continues to seek for better, faster, cheaper and more modern services and features, the 14 operators that will continue to completely support COMMWORLD, a comprehensive showcase of the technological advancement available in the world market today,” said Engr. Epitacio Marquez, chairman of PCTO.

COMMWORLD ’05 together with the 2nd Philippine Telecom Summit and the CEO Forum will be held from June 2 to 5, 2005 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM). It will once again serve as the platform for industry leaders to promote, discuss and invite both local and foreign investors to enter the fast expanding Philippine IVT market. Over 18,000 local and foreign exhibitors, participants, delegates and speakers and investors are expected to come together, share their insights and participate in this four-day event that will shape the trends, investments, and developments of the local ICT industry.

The list of PCTO members that will be taking part in the upcoming COMMWORLD events and activities are Bayantel, Capitol Wireless, Inc. (Cap wire), Digitel, Express Telecom, Eastern Telecom Philippines, Inc. (ETPI) Globe Telecom (Globe), Islacom, Philippine Global Telecommunications, Inc. (Philcom), Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T), PAPTELCO, Pilipino Telephone Corp., (PILTEL), Smart Communication Technologies Philippines, Inc. (TTPI). For more information about COMMWORLD ’05, contact Jing Lagandaon, deputy managing director of Global-Link at 7508588 / 8871304 fax at 7508585 / 8871305 or email: jing@globallinkph.com

COMMWORLD will once again enjoy the presence of the big names from the industry and also has the support of industry leaders including Rodolfo Salalima, VP of Globe and the President of PCTO; Jimmy Tinio, President of ITESAP and Aida Miranda, senior commercial officer of the United States Embassy (USFCS) to serve as moderators for the Summit. The exhibit will occupy a total of 5,500 sq. meters of exhibition space with over 280 exhibitors coming from 15 countries. “The presence of key industry people, business leaders, and government representatives makes these dialogues and discussions very fruitful and informative. The summit will be for two days and over 300 attendees are expected to take part in this momentous event,” Lagandaon added.

Text2Teach: Making SMS relevant in education

Text2Teach: Making SMS relevant in education
By Eden Estopace
The Philippine STAR 05/28/2005

Text messaging may have transformed the way we communicate and even landed our country in the tech map as a nation of avid, no-nonsense texters. But cut the green jokes, the soppy greetings, the votes we send to win a prize, and those undying declarations of love and friendship, and the gossipy exchanges that last till the night.

Does text messaging have any practical uses as far as the more serious things in our national life are concerned? How far can a peso of text message go in terms of, say, untangling the traffic knot, depopularizing jueteng, diminishing street crime?

If we used text messages to gather people on EDSA in the last uprising that installed new leaders in our government, certainly, there must be some ways for this innovative technology to make an impact – in less dramatic, less political circumstances – on other areas of our public life that are begging for redemption.

In education, for one, academicians have long used interactive learning systems to enhance classroom teaching and bring quality education to the less privileged. But let’s get more practical, less dreamy. We are no Hollywood ready for blockbuster spending. Our needs our basic, very basic. As basic as our need to connect through text.

Hundreds of thousands of children attend public schools across the country, and in areas as widely dispersed as our rice and corn fields. If we have to use technology for educational purposes, it has to be the kind people are already familiar with and one that reaches even the farthest end of the archipelago.

At least, this was the idea of the proponents of the Text2Teach program of BridgeIT, a global ICT-based initiative which aims to narrow the educational divide between nations when it was launched in the summer of 2003.

Now on its third year, the program covers 204 public schools. An assessment of the first two years of its implementation has this to say of its impact: absenteeism was reduced among students attending Text2Teach classes, student performance was increased as gleaned by higher average scores in science, teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil interaction got a boost and there was a generally upbeat classroom environment.

Text2Teach classrooms are found in Quezon City, Batangas, Cotabato City, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, Cagayan de Oro, Maguindanao and North and South Cotabato, directly benefiting over 32,000 Grades 5 and 6 pupils. Making SMS Relevant
The goal was simple: Bring multimedia education to public school classrooms in the Philippines using mobile technology, more specifically Short Messaging Service (SMS) or text messaging. The framework was even simpler: Text to download teaching materials – video, pictures, text or audio files – and you are ready to teach, or at least ready to provide a new classroom experience to elementary pupils who would otherwise not have access to these multimedia presentations. And this should work whether you are in Quezon City or in Maguindanao, or just at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains, for as long your cellphone can get a signal.

One couldn’t say though that the implementation was that simple. It took the collaborative effort of a diverse group of players, including a corporate foundation, a telecommunications company, a broadcasting firm, a cellphone manufacturer, the Department of Education, an international funding institution and a curriculum developer.

In an interview with Telecoms, Jones Campos, head of public relations of Globe Telecom, one of the key players of the Text2Teach program, said the main challenge was to bring all these groups together to commit to a cause.

Luckily for the country, he said, BridgeIT chose the Philippines as the pilot site for the program because of the popularity of text messaging here and our quite legendary propensity to text. Campos said Globe Telecom alone has 95 percent population coverage with more than 4,000 cell sites nationwide.

"So the technology is easy to deploy. The infrastructure was already there," he said.

Jeffrey Ochoa Tarayao, community relations head of the public relations division of Globe Telecom, explained that at the classroom level, two things are needed to use the Text2Teach module – a mobile phone for the teacher and a TV set-top box in the classroom.

Picture a science class in a remote barrio in Maguindanao. The topic for the day is volcano. Ms. X texts the word volcano to a dedicated Globe number, which automatically sends the request to the Text2Teach video library which, in turn, sends the module on volcanoes via satellite to the classroom that requested for it. The teacher downloads the module and the class begins.

The day’s topic, however, is not dependent on the mood of the teacher or what the class wants to watch, but follows a curriculum defined by the Department of Education (DepEd). There are 80 video modules in the electronic library on topics that are generally discussed in Grade 5 and 6 science and math classes. Making It Work
Three years into the program and Tarayao said there are many things that Text2Teach has to revise, fine-tune or re strategize to make it work and make it more relevant.

First is in the area of content. Since the modules were provided by Pearson, an American education company that publish textbooks, multimedia programs and online services, the video modules are highly foreign, Tarayao said. "If they study mountains, for example, what they get is a video of Mount McKinley and not Mount Pinatubo or Mt. Mayon," he quipped.

Starting this year though, local materials produced by Southeast Asian Association Ministries of Education Organizations (SEAMEO-Innotech), based in the Philippines, will be included in the program, including video modules on values education.

SEAMEO-Innotech acts as the overall project coordinator for lesson development, training, monitoring and linkages at the field level.

Starting this year, Tarayao said that in addition to science and math video modules, Text2Teach classrooms will also be provided with modules on the English language.

Since the program is progressive, one of the things that DepEd requires in schools for inclusion in the Text2Teach program is the familiarity of the teachers with the technology and their being receptive to this innovative teaching facility.

And it has to involve the whole school, said Tarayao, because other subject areas may be included in the program later on.

With 38,000 public elementary schools all over the Philippines, only 204 have Text2Teach facilities, a drop in a bucket, literally.

Although the program’s proponents would like to make it more pervasive, it has to chart the program in measured steps because of the cost involved. Campos said the TV set-top box given to schools alone, called the Nokia media master, cost P80,000 each and was provided by Nokia for free.

For the first phase of the program, Nokia also provided cellphones to the schools. On the second phase, Globe Telecom shouldered the handset cost. And this year, Globe and Nokia split the cost of the handsets 50-50. Each school also gets a P150 load per month from Globe.

The good thing though, Campos said, is that for the third phase of the program, the cost of the project for all schools, except for the telecom cost, was shouldered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), under the auspices of its Education and Livelihood Skills Alliance (ELSA) program.

More entities are actually coming into the program, complementing the efforts of the original proponents, which include PMSI-Dream Broadcasting, whose satellite facilities are used to beam the video modules to the classrooms; Chikka Asia, which developed the interface from text to satellite to download the video modules; the Ayala Foundation, the International Youth Foundation and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

USAID’s ELSA, for instance, is a public-private partnership that is now very active in Mindanao, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), working to expand school-based and community-based learning. Moving It Forward
Much has been said about the convergence of technologies, which is now the buzzword in the global information and communications technology (ICT) arena. But as applied to efforts in the educational sector, especially in the context of realities in a developing country, convergence actually breathes life to that old African proverb "it takes a village to raise a child."

As technologies move forward, none can actually lay claim to having the exclusive expertise of offering a complete solution to a societal undertaking like Text2Teach.

Text2Teach is actually a product of a complex socio technical ecosystem that crosses industries and technical platforms. It is also an offshoot of current mobile technology applications that are sweeping the education sector.

In selected campuses nationwide, students, for example, can already enroll through texting, inquire their tuition balance, receive news alerts and campus bulletins on their cellphones, and vote for their student council leaders through text.

It won’t be long, Campos said, for students to also start paying their tuition through their cellphones.

But Campos was quick to point out that the proponents of Text2Teach do not have plans of offering the service commercially to private schools or private individuals.

"This is really a philantrophic endeavor," he said.

Then let it be said that SMS is coming full circle in this cellphone-crazy nation. That P1 text message can build friendships, enhance relationships or make communications more efficient. And yes, it can also open a child’s eyes to scientific concepts and ideas that he otherwise may not have the chance to explore

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Amateur License

Pursuant to NTC Department Order 2004-40: Amending the NTC DO2003-02,
Code Test Shall Be Required for Class A only and the Speed Requirement
is 5 wpm only.

Thus, for a ham to be issued an operator license, he is required to
pass Element 2, 3, and 4, which is for Class C, making Technician
class as the entry level class.

What happen to Class D?

I am just wondering if it is possible for a ham to be Licensed under
Class D (Novice Class/DY's) if he could pass Element 2-Radio Laws.

This i think would

1. Encourage non-technical people to operate legally and orderly.
2. Reduce if not eliminate the number of unlicensed radio operators.
3. Reduce if not eliminate jammers since NTC will be in control of the
records of radio users.
4. Provide additional income to NTC