First digital classroom launched in Rizal
The first digital classroom is launched at the Southville 88 National HS in Montalban, Rizal on June 4, 2024. It is equipped with seamless internet connection that allows students to avail of ebooks and other multimedia content.
Edgepoint Philippines, an independent cellular tower infrastructure company collaborated with Habitat for Humanity PH on the project. In an interview with The Manila TImes, Edgepoint Chief Executive Officer William Walters said they aimed to build digital classrooms in the hope of making education more accessible.
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The first digital classroom is launched at the Southville 88 National HS in Montalban, Rizal on June 4, 2024. It is equipped with seamless internet connection that allows students to avail of ebooks and other multimedia content.
Edgepoint Philippines, an independent cellular tower infrastructure company collaborated with Habitat for Humanity PH on the project. In an interview with The Manila TImes, Edgepoint Chief Executive Officer William Walters said they aimed to build digital classrooms in the hope of making education more accessible.
Videos by Red Mendoza
Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe
Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net
Follow us:
Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook
Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram
Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter
DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion
Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital
Check out our Podcasts:
Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify
Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts
Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic
Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer
Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein
#themanilatimes
#philippines
#education
#digital
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [Indistinct chatter]
00:25 [Indistinct chatter]
00:32 Sorry, I forgot your name.
00:34 William. William. So, of course, how important is EdgePoint's investment in locations such as this? How important is this?
00:41 Well, we think it's very important because we believe very strongly in leveling up digital equity in all the countries we operate in.
00:49 We typically see that there are generally rural and poorer areas where there's lack of connectivity or lack of meaningful connectivity.
00:57 We think, you know, the right to digital access, particularly for children, for educational purposes, but also in the greater economy,
01:04 is, you know, is something that we should be delivering to everybody in the country, not just those in urban areas.
01:10 How did this project come to fruition? How did you choose the location? How did you choose the school that you will be giving this project to?
01:20 So, we work very closely with our partner, Habitat for Humanity. We do a lot of work around the globe.
01:27 And together with them, we shortlisted a few different areas, and we felt that this one was sort of the first one of many that we'll do.
01:37 It's really just the first. That's what happens to be the first.
01:40 Okay. Of course, being a tower company, of course, entails, of course, mostly connectivity.
01:48 So, why choose a computer laboratory? Why not create a multipurpose hall or whatever project that entails also connectivity?
01:58 Why a digital classroom?
02:00 Well, for us, I think it's, you know, we do strongly believe that, you know, digital education is very important.
02:06 You see, you know, I think I've said before that I think a lot of kids, when they grow up nowadays, will be involved in digital in some form or other.
02:14 And I think, you know, the more we can empower children with digital skills, particularly, again, from maybe less privileged areas or whatever, you know,
02:23 it really opens up a lot of doors to them in the future. So, that's kind of what we're looking at.
02:28 And you said that this is not going to be the first time. There will be more?
02:32 This is the first one, but there will be more.
02:34 There will be more. So, how many are we expecting maybe in this year, and do you have projections for next year?
02:43 So, we at least expect to complete the second one this year. It will take a little bit of time.
02:49 And we hope to do at least maybe between two and four again in 2025 for next year.
02:56 And, of course, the locations will be chosen by Habitat for Humanity?
03:01 Or do you partner with other...
03:02 Yeah, we work together with them, right? So, we look at a few things like, you know, where they're located as well, you know.
03:10 So, there's many considerations, but of course, we can't do every single school.
03:15 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:16 If we could...
03:17 Of course, the big problem right now in the Philippines is connectivity, internet penetration.
03:23 While there are so many social media users, internet penetration is low in key areas where there are no cell sites, no towers, no everything.
03:35 I mean, I've been to Tawi-Tawi recently, and it's a dead spot there.
03:41 So, how is EdgePoint answering solutions to the government's initiative to improve connectivity in key areas?
03:50 Yeah, so, it's not just EdgePoint.
03:53 I think the whole reason, you know, when I first came to the Philippines in 2019, they were looking at the TauCo model,
03:59 discussing, you know, how the TauCo model can bring benefits for those, particularly for underserved areas.
04:04 I mean, in general anyway in the Philippines, where probably the density of cell sites is relatively low compared to other countries.
04:11 But particularly for areas like you talk about Tawi-Tawi, or, you know, those areas where you basically don't have enough population to make a business case.
04:19 For a mobile operator to build there.
04:22 What we do, because we share infrastructure, I mean, that's what we're about, shared infrastructure.
04:26 It reduces the cost of entry for those mobile operators.
04:31 So, instead of each operator having to build a whole tower themselves, which is not cheap,
04:36 we can build one and we can potentially host three operators.
04:40 We have three operators in the Philippines, we can potentially host three.
04:43 So, they're basically sharing the cost between three operators.
04:47 Which sometimes might make that business case work.
04:50 Not always, but, you know, it goes one step further than what we have today.
04:55 What we're seeing right now is eco-towers.
04:58 Environmentally sound tower construction, going green.
05:05 How is Edgepoint answering the call of environmental challenges in building eco-friendly towers?
05:11 Sure. So, look, I mean, depending on what kind of structure you're building, towers typically do use quite a lot of cement, quite a lot of steel.
05:19 What we can do at the moment on those things is really just try and optimize the design.
05:24 So, we use as little as we need.
05:26 And, sorry, disaster resiliency.
05:28 I'm sorry?
05:29 Disaster resiliency.
05:30 Yeah.
05:31 Disaster...
05:32 Recovery.
05:33 Yeah.
05:34 Yeah, yeah. So, we look at that.
05:35 So, on your green part, you know, trying to reduce the amount of steel.
05:40 If you reduce the amount of steel, you can reduce the amount of cement.
05:43 Okay, so those things all across the supply chain, obviously, is good.
05:49 We also started to look at alternative materials.
05:52 So, particularly for rooftop bowls, can we use carbon fiber instead of steel?
05:59 I think more interestingly, something we're looking at currently with some of our customers is where we can deploy solar on sites.
06:07 So, if we can deploy solar cells, we have a model for it.
06:10 We think it works.
06:13 And what we've seen is significant reductions in diesel usage.
06:16 So, it's particularly, you know, good where you've got a diesel generator on site and you've got a bad grid or no grid.
06:24 And the diesel generator might be running 24 hours.
06:26 It might be running 10 hours a day.
06:27 There's a lot of diesel, a lot of pollution.
06:29 So, you know, if we can take up some of that slack through solar, that's good for everyone.
06:34 And is it in partnership with the networks you're servicing?
06:37 Is it in partnership with the major networks?
06:39 It's a sort of commercial arrangement with them, right?
06:41 So, we deploy solar.
06:43 They pay us a bit of money, but they save a lot of money because they're not using a lot of diesel.
06:48 Okay.
06:49 Of course, you've been here since 2019, of course.
06:51 And, of course, how would you -- of course, you've been through the pandemic as well.
06:55 So, how would you compare the situation in 2019 and 2020 to now in terms of building commercial towers and, of course, helping?
07:07 Now, you're now giving back to the community.
07:10 How do you compare --
07:11 Pre- and post-pandemic, basically.
07:13 So, yeah, so this is always a weird question because for us as an infrastructure-providing company, the impact of the pandemic was beneficial to us.
07:27 Because what happened is there was a sudden move to everything being online.
07:34 Yes.
07:35 If you weren't online as a business, you'd die.
07:38 Yes, yes.
07:39 Classrooms like we're in now, right, a lot of people started studying from home.
07:43 A lot of people doing their business meetings online rather than face-to-face, which means you need more infrastructure to support that.
07:53 So, ironically for us as a business, that sort of drives our business.
07:57 What I found changes, though, I think since pre- and post- -- I think mostly, in general, things have recovered.
08:06 I think people -- but the sort of move to everything being online or app-based or web-based has just accelerated.
08:16 And we will continue to accelerate because I think people have realized, yeah, it is kind of the best way to go.
08:21 And the quicker we can do it, the better for everyone.
08:23 Lastly, of course, what is your future of EdgePoint's service to the community?
08:31 What do you think is the future of this?
08:33 What do you think is -- what do you see in this project, in this digital classroom project?
08:40 What do you see the future in this?
08:42 What we'll do in the future of this?
08:43 What do you see in the future?
08:45 What do you see?
08:46 Do you see students being more --
08:49 Ah, so like the outcome?
08:50 Yeah, the outcome, yes, yes.
08:51 Okay.
08:52 So, speaking personally, you know, I've got kids, right?
08:57 Yeah, yeah.
08:58 I really, you know, even when the kids came up on the stage to get their stuff today, you know, they're so cute, right?
09:03 And I really just personally feel that everyone should have an opportunity.
09:07 So I hope what we see from this is, you know, I think normally if you give decent facilities to children, they get really enthused.
09:15 You know, they really get, wow, okay.
09:17 I would just, you know, like to think that if it encourages even one more child to gain something more, either from something they learn online or some skill they learn on the computer, even one child, you know, one child, if they can gain something in life and get some happiness out of that, I'm happy already, but, you know.
09:37 [ Silence ]
09:43 [ Music ]