International students from Chosun University in South Korea tried their hands on upcoming cutting-edge technologies at the PLDT&Smart Technolab in Makati. The students are part of an exchange program with De La Salle Araneta University’s (DLSAU) Lasallian Language Center in Malabon, Metro Manila.

“Korea is one of the countries we look up to because of the advanced technologies they have rolled out for their enterprise and consumer market. Our team has also been exploring Korean 5G technologies, and we want to adapt some of these innovations here in the Philippines,” said Joseph Lennart Olaivar, Assistant Vice President and Head of Network Innovations Lab and Special Projects at PLDT and Smart.

Located at the Smart Tower in Makati, the PLDT&Smart Technolab acts as a sandbox environment where the PLDT Group tests game-changing Telco solutions that can further improve customer experience and make its network most cost efficient.

The visitors from South Korea learned about Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), Network Disaggregation, and Extended Reality that the PLDT Group is testing. The students also experienced innovations like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality.

“I was impressed by how extended reality combines with the real world to offer a new level of interaction and immersion in the education and entertainment sectors,” said Lee Insu, a second-year student majoring in Automated Systems Engineering at Chosun.

“I appreciated how the complex concepts were presented in a clear manner that is accessible to us. It is interesting how these technologies will impact the future as they are essential in problem solving, improving efficiency, and creating opportunities,” said Se Ryung Jang, a freshman AI Software Contents major at Chosun.

Opening the doors of the PLDT&Smart Technolab to future tech mavericks underscores the PLDT Group’s broader program for inclusive learning and meaningful innovation, and its efforts to help the country achieve UNSDG 4 on Quality Education.