By Samantha L. Colinco
A few months after a Wi-Fi system was installed in 45 areas all over Silliman University, some students said it is generally
helpful but usually ‘breaks down just when we need it the most.’ Raymond Cutillar, a third year mass communication student, was
at the Ausejo Hall (AH) to log on to the Wi-Fi so he could download a file for class. He tried connecting to the “silliman zone” but could not get in after several attempts.
Physical therapy student Natalie Burgos from Texas, U.S.A, said she thinks the Wi-Fi connection is “a little bit slower here” in the Philippines because “there’s so many people using it in one place at the same time.”
Wi-Fi system
Percival Genove, officer-incharge of the SU Management Information System (MIS),said the campus is subscribed to a maximum
data transfer rate or bandwidth of 30 mbps with Fil Products as the internet service provider.
He added that unlike a digital subscriber line (DSL) that is shared by residents and companies within a city, SU’s Internet connection is through a leased line that is uncontested and exclusively used by its subscribers.
As for students who want to log on to the Internet at AH, Genove said the Wi-Fi presence inside classrooms has been “intentionally
weakened” to discourage students from going online while in class.
Payment breakdown
Currently, SU students pay P300 per semester for the Wi-Fi launched last July. Genove said the amount goes to the monthly internet subscription fee of “more or less P300,000.”
He added that P300 is “very affordable” because it means only P60 per month for Wi-Fi which “can be used anytime.” For Cutillar, however, the payment is “quite high” but would be “enough” if the university includes improvements.
“I know of other universities in the country that have free internet connection and is fast at the same time. Students there do not
complain about their Wi-Fi,” he said.
Report glitches
Genove said students should report to the nearest university office or directly to the MIS office any connection problem so they can inform the internet service provider.
He also suggested transferring to another Wi-Fi connected area because routers in a specific area sometimes malfunction.
“We can never avoid system breakdowns. Even places which boast of excellent internet connectivity like hotels have problems 90 percent of the time. But the opposite is happening here in campus where 90 percent of the time it’s working,” he said
