Smart targets 250 mobile Internet cafés for Visayas

The Public Access Group of Smart Communications Inc. is targeting to put up at least 250 mobile Internet Cafés in the remote areas in the Visayas in the next two to three years.

Called Smart Click, the Internet café is housed in an airconditioned 40-footer container van, equipped with personal computers. It will serve as a one-stop digital shop in places with limited or no provisions for high-speed Internet and other related computer and desktop publishing services. It has a dedicated WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) connection providing speeds of up to one MBps.

According to Lito Pacolor, Smart public access technical manager for Visayas and Mindanao area, there are already three mobile Internet cafés opened in the Visayas.

In the next three years at least 250 mobile Internet cafés will be set up around Visayas to blanket the area with Internet capabilities, Pacolor said.

It has opened in Bantayan Island recently, two in Eastern Samar, in Dolores, and Balangiga towns. Also it currently opened its San Juan, Southern Leyte Internet Café outlets.

Smart will be working with a partner for every Internet Café that will be opened in municipalities or big community barangays. The business partner will have to provide a bond of P200,000, set up some of the structures of the van, while Smart will be spending for all the needed equipment including the computers.

"We will initially open 20 branches. We plan to eventually rollout in 1,000 communities, including those in so-called uncharted territories," said Tina Z. Mariano, head of the Public Access Group of Smart.

The Smart Click mobile Internet café will introduce the Internet technology to the most remote town in the Philippines, this will give opportunity for the townsfolk especially the young generation to be at par with the urban communities.

Also, according to Kelly Espina, public access operation's manager-Visayas, families of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) will be given an easier communication access through broadband capabilities, through video camera, e-mail, among other features offered by the Internet.

At Smart Click, people can quickly connect with friends and relatives abroad via e-mail, chat, or webcam. Online gaming is also available. Desktop publishing services include sending, printing, and scanning of documents and photos.

Mariano added that with the access to fast and reliable Internet services via Smart Click, students would be able to do research and access a plethora of information with just one click, via the Internet.

Smart started to roll out Smart Click branches on April 1 in Ayala, Zamboanga. It subsequently opened branches in Basco, Batanes; Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; Sta. Maria, Bulacan; Bantayan, Cebu; Dolores, Eastern Samar; Malolos, Bulacan; Bulan, Sorsogon; and Barobo, Surigao del Sur.

"In the future, Smart Click will also serve as a distribution channel for Smart's value-added services such as ring tones, logo and music downloads, caller ring back tunes, among others," Mariano added.