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Rancudo airfield tower with VSAT for cell calls
Topic Started: Jul 30 2011, 02:09 PM (2,113 Views)
pachador


Smart maintains GSM service on Pag-asa Island
July 30, 2011 Philstar


MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc. recently conducted maintenance work on its cell site on Pag-asa in the Kalayaan group of islands in the West Philippine Sea to ensure continuous communication for soldiers deployed there as well as civilian residents.

Located some 535 kilometers from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Pag-asa Island, which is part of the Spratlys, hosts a contingent from the Philippine Air Force Detachment 570, the 355th Aviation and Engineering Wing, and the Philippine Navy.

Civilians were brought to the island in 2002 under a resettlement program.

Smart provides GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) service via VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal).

“When we constructed the cell site in 2005, we knew that maintenance would be a challenge, considering the remote location and the lack of regular commercial trips to and from the island. But we were assured of support from the military, our main beneficiaries,” said Rogelio Flores, head for South Luzon of Smart’s Technology Services Division.

With the help of AFP Western Command (Wescom) commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, AFP deputy chief of staff for logistics Commodore Edgardo Tamayo and Wescom spokesman Maj. Neil Estrella, Flores was able to transport equipment to Pag-asa last month.

Flores, along with engineers Guds Cabrera, Edu Calalo, and Louie Corpuz, worked on the VSAT transmission and the base station equipment.

“Maintaining base stations located by the sea is generally more challenging because metal parts get corroded more easily due to the salty air - even more so on Pag-asa because it takes time to go and secure additional spare parts,” said Cabrera, technology services supervisor for Palawan and Laguna South.
Engineers Guds Cabrera and Edu Calalo check the base station equipment housed in the Smart tower (right) on Pag-asa Island.

Every month, a Philippine Navy boat transports supplies and troops assigned to relieve those stationed in nine Philippine-claimed sites in the Kalayaan Island Group. Aside from Pag-asa Island, the country has detachments posted on the islands of Likas, Parola, Lawak, Kota, Patag and Panata and the reefs of Rizal, Balagtas and Ayungin.

The Navy boat takes five to six days to complete its rounds.

The weather is also a factor. Flores’ team had completed their work in a week, but they were stranded on the island for another week due to bad weather.

Flores said that keeping in touch with their families and friends boosts soldiers’ morale, especially when they are assigned to remote areas and those in the eye of controversy like the Spratlys.

Other countries with claims on the region are China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The Spratlys are believed to sit on vast mineral resources and all claimants, except Brunei, have troops posted on some of the islands.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?artic...ubCategoryId=73
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Frenzy
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Cellular signal can be intercepted by Chinese ELINT.
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pachador


Frenzy
Aug 1 2011, 10:49 AM
Cellular signal can be intercepted by Chinese ELINT.

Mhrpn sla sa jejemon scret txtng
:lollol:
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jvelarde
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One significant drawback when using VSAT is that there is a significant delay since the signal has to travel all the way to space and back. Only one person can talk at a time.

But, better than nothing for our kababayans in the Pag-asa Islands.
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Tsukiyomi
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Spare parts should not be an issue for VSAT's. They are actually fairly simple systems with inexpensive parts. The real cost is for the satellite bandwidth (and corporate greed).

A more costly step but important would be to lay a fiber optic cable loop from one of the western seaboard internet loops on the PLDT system and run it out to the island. They have already lain thousands of miles worth..whats a few hundred more. This system should be kept to unclassified traffic. Based on what is increasingly becoming obvious based on companies like google, yahoo and Mcaffe I would definately not have anything sensitive going in or out on those lines.

The fact it takes a ship a week to transit is unsatisfactory. That needs to be fixed asap. Another reason for a more robust airlift capability. We should have cargo planes runnning in and out of that island 2 to 3 times a week.
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jvelarde
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Quote:
 
A more costly step but important would be to lay a fiber optic cable loop from one of the western seaboard internet loops on the PLDT system and run it out to the island. They have already lain thousands of miles worth..whats a few hundred more. This system should be kept to unclassified traffic. Based on what is increasingly becoming obvious based on companies like google, yahoo and Mcaffe I would definately not have anything sensitive going in or out on those lines.


Tsukiyomi,

Installing underwater cables is very expensive and, with only a handful of customers, it is not economically feasible for PLDT to install a fiber optic link from Palawan to the Kalayaan Islands.

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The fact it takes a ship a week to transit is unsatisfactory. That needs to be fixed asap. Another reason for a more robust airlift capability. We should have cargo planes runnning in and out of that island 2 to 3 times a week.


I certainly agree with you but I don't know anything about the frequency of flights to and from the Kalayaan Islands. Yes, we have to acquire a more robust airlift capability with newer C-130's and perhaps C-27J's not just for the Kalayaan Islands but for the entire republic.

Right now, the PAF has only one operational C-130. Fifty-fifty pa ata kung makalipad at any given time. :headbang:
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Tsukiyomi
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I am aware of the cost as I have worked national level comm issues but sometimes "economically feasible" is not the right answer. The usa did not send men to the moon because it was economically feasible. They did it because it was of national importance. Our control over our islands is a national issue of great import.

Perhaps the better answer would be a more robust and redundent VSAT capability...
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jvelarde
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Quote:
 
I am aware of the cost as I have worked national level comm issues but sometimes "economically feasible" is not the right answer.  Our control over our islands is a national issue of great import.

Perhaps the better answer would be a more robust and redundent VSAT capability...


You can't force a private entity (i.e. PLDT) to spend its money just to lose even more money.

It has to be the government then who has to pay for a fiber optic link between the Pag-Asa Islands and Palawan.
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Tsukiyomi
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I was implying that the government would be responsible for sucking up the cost. The money our government makes from exploiting the resources in the region will make up for the cost.

There is no way I would expect a commerical entity to do it out of their own pockets but PLDT needs to do this job at "essentially cost" with a markup for management and admin costs of about 10-18% max.

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truegrit


Question is? may sundalo ba tayo or any civilian living in KIG who knows how to text using jejemon text coding?
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