PLDT and Smart offered a glimpse of the future to engineering students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) in Cavite.
Located in Makati, the PLDT and Smart Technolab serves as a sandbox for the PLDT Group to test game-changing communication solutions that are not yet available commercially.
“PLDT and Smart welcome the opportunity to share next-gen technologies with aspiring engineers. Not only do they learn about advancements in communications, but they also gain valuable knowledge from real-world experiences of our engineers,” said Radames Vittorio B. Zalameda, Vice President and Head of Wireless Network Strategy and Architecture.
Among the upcoming technologies discussed were Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), Network Disaggregation, Cloudification, Automation, Extended Reality, Wi-Fi Sensing and Internet of Things applications.
“I realized there are so many advanced communication technologies that can drastically improve our experience—and I wasn’t even aware of them,” said Aouie Bulalacao, a third-year Electronics Engineering major from AUP. “The visit inspired me to seek opportunities in Research and Development after graduation, because I also want to develop impactful solutions for the masses.”
“We’re excited about the advancements in AI-powered technologies like extended reality,” said Leila Arowen Dumindin, a fourth-year Electronics Engineering student at PLM. “I paid particular attention to smart technologies. I plan to pursue a career in embedded engineering so I can develop solutions that help improve people’s lives.”
For PLM students, the visit builds on the school’s membership in the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) – the country’s first and longest-running Philippine industry-academe linkage program. SWEEP aims to produce industry-ready graduates and technopreneurs by leveraging Smart’s network, infrastructure, and technologies.
Students also learned how to #BeCyberSmart through a pocket cybersecurity session that shared practical tips on how to avoid falling prey to phishing and other online scams.
PLDT and Smart’s efforts to welcome students to the Technolab are aligned with the PLDT Group’s much broader program to promote meaningful innovation and inclusive, quality education. These are also aimed at helping country achieve UNSDG 4 on Quality Education and UNSDG 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
