PCARI Village Base Station Project - VBTS

The PCARI Village Base Station has been featured in Community Network Exchange 2020 ( ) as part of "Voices from the Community", a series of short videos from Asia Pacific where community networks are deployed.

This year's theme is "Meaningful Access with Community Networks".

Are you interested in local access and community networks? Here's our latest installment on developments impacting your local access networks.

https://www.apc.org/en/node/36443/

Subscribe here to know more! https://crm.apc.org/content/local-access-subscription

It is with deep regret that we announce that the VBTS project will be ending on March 7, 2020. For more than five years, we have worked towards the goal of bringing communication access to remote and unserved communities in the Philippines. While our journey has presented us with challenges along the way, we will continue to stand by our work with utmost pride - demonstrating that community networks in this country are indeed possible.

Even though the VBTS project is ending, we are glad to say that the seeds we planted will continue to grow, as we transitioned our community 2G GSM networks to Internet access networks. We are hopeful that access to the Internet will open more opportunities for social and economic improvements not only to our pilot communities but to other communities as well.

We will be forever grateful to the many individuals, organizations, and communities who supported the project and the network. We are humbled by the opportunity to have served our country, albeit in our small way. We hope that the learnings from this project will help break down barriers and instill reforms for a better-connected Philippines.

Maraming Salamat po!

The PCARI Village Base Station is one of the pioneer projects of CHED- PCARI - Philippine California Advanced Research Institutes in the areas of Information Infrastructure Development (IID).

Find out more about CHED-PCARI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhwbT3dIrFs

This is CHED-PCARI The Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PCARI) Project is an approach to enhance the skills and expertise of faculty and staff of Philippine ...

VBTS subscribers of Dikapinisan enjoying internet access in their community for the first time.

VBTS is transitioning from a Community 2G Cellular GSM Network (Calls and SMS) to a Community Internet Access Network.

The shift is in response to the demand for internet services in VBTS sites.

Alongside the installation of VBTS WiFi Hotspots, the team has conducted meetings and consultations with the community to discuss the future of the network.

Pictures will show community members enjoying internet access in their communities for the first time.