LATA: Occasional Spotlight

Last August 2, 2007, Smart Communications, Inc. formally launched the I-4 network with an official inauguration of the facility and a press conference. Yeah, this post is a bit overdue and I should have posted it ages ago. Well, better late than never as I always say.

The I-4 network (team ACeS refers to it as the IN network, though it seems a bit erroneous since IN stands for Intelligent Network) uses Inmarsat's I-4 satellites and it also links the ACeS network to Inmarsat. Basically, this means that our subscribers now enjoy worldwide coverage and they can communicate with their loved ones practically anywhere (as long as they have line-of-sight with the satellites).

For the average Filipino seafarer subscribed to SmartLink, this is good news as they would no longer have to wait until their ship docks to shore for them to talk to their families. Furthermore, the new network will enable them to send and receive SMS in the near future. This is the main concept behind the Smartlink commercial ads now seen on TV regarding why the sea is salty (the commercial says that this is due to the accumulated tears of all the seafarers who are missing their families whom they cannot contact for lack of telecommunication facilities).

Anyway, the inauguration brought a truckload of people to the almost perpetually empty ACeS building, and the spotlight were on us for that day. Frankly, we were more happy on that day because of the food :P



Present during the inauguration are (L to R) Tina Mariano of Smart's PAD, Don Rae, Napoleon Nazareno (President and CEO of Smart Communications) and Michael Butler (President and COO of Inmarsat)