The Philippines’ rural healthcare system has been hampered for years by a lack of internet connection. The new COVID-19 outbreak has worsened this, emphasizing the need for more technology spending in remote health centers.
Globally, technology has advanced quickly, radically altering how we live and communicate. Primary industries, including healthcare, the government, and other sectors, are becoming increasingly dependent on internet connections. This widespread adoption in the online world has also brought attention to equity issues and limitations in the technology’s implementation, particularly in rural areas. In the Philippines, people in the “last mile,” where 52% of the population resides in rural regions, continue to be behind.
Take Pangutaran as an example. It is a tiny island home to about 30,000 people. It takes five hours to travel by boat from the mainland, which is 60 kilometers distant from the island. People on the island cannot expect a steady and speedy connection through fiber since it is too far away and inaccessible to internet service providers. The internet infrastructure underwent a significant improvement to handle the expanding population, but the technical capabilities trailed far behind, making it impossible to meet one of the community’s needs: access to healthcare.
Here, satellite connectivity comes into play. For rural and remote places, Kacific has been able to offer a fiber alternative that is dependable, quick, and affordable using satellite technology. In 2019, Kacific1 was launched as a geostationary satellite. It is the first high-throughput Ka-band satellite. The Ka-band technology and spectrum from Kacific have been changing satellite technology recently since it provides higher bandwidth throughput with smaller antenna sizes, resulting in faster upload and download rates than C- band and Ku-band. The Pangutaran District Hospital’s implementation of Kacific’s broadband service powered by Ka-band technology ended the community’s connectivity issues.
Through their local internet service provider, Transpacific Broadband Group Inc. (TBGI), Kacific can offer internet speeds of up to 40Mbps for residential and 120Mbps for enterprise customers. When the service is deployed, the internet connection continues to be fast and reliable, unlike dial-up or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). Kacific’s innovative technology has made the impact of inclement weather on the signal strength less significant, enabling constant speed and stable connectivity even during the regular rainy season in the Philippines. Not to mention, Kacific’s satellite service is affordable and easy to set up. In rural areas, deployment becomes quicker and more affordable for both enterprises and local customers using a small satellite dish.
This newly discovered internet connectivity is a game-changer for hospitals like Pangutaran District Hospital. Digital tools are now available for use by doctors and nurses to provide care of a higher caliber. With improved connectivity, everyone at the hospital can make Zoom calls throughout the country and even to Singapore. It also enables doctors to reliably submit radiology studies to a center in Davao for analysis. Additionally, it enables medical professionals to quickly access data that may be useful for diagnosing, creating treatment plans, or providing telemedicine.
Furthermore, having access to the internet has a domino effect. The people of Pangutaran now have more options and better services readily available to them concerning healthcare as medical professionals may provide their patients with a more interconnected, higher standard of service. Since people now have more power to take better control of their health, this change ultimately improves people’s quality of life.
High-speed, easy-to-install and cost-effective satellite solutions like VSAT powered by Kacific give remote areas better opportunities to thrive through the help of stable internet connectivity.
Remote locations have better chances to prosper now. Satellite technology has provided rural areas with an improved alternative to traditional connection services and filled the gap where there is currently no or very little internet connectivity. Rural hospitals may nurture high-level healthcare with better quality of treatment, timeliness, and efficiency when they have access to dependable broadband internet via the Kacific1 satellite. This is fresh dawn for the locals, giving them hope and comfort.
Visit TBGI’s selection of affordable plans here or call (02) 8404 0239 to discuss your service requirements.
For more information on Kacific’s satellite technology, visit www.kacific.com or contact sales@kacific.com.
