‘Smart Click’ mobile Net café opens in Antique

As part of its thrust to make broadband Internet access available throughout the country, leading wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. has set up a mobile Internet café in San Jose, Antique, the first in Western Visayas.

Called Smart Click, the Internet café is housed in an air-conditioned, 40-foot container van, equipped with 15 rentable "top-of-the-line" computers. It is located along Solana street in San Jose, the capital town.

"This is the first in Western Visayas and the 14th Smart Click Internet café nationwide since we began our rollout last April 1. We will initially open 20 branches. We plan to eventually roll out in 1,000 communities, including those in so-called uncharted territories," said Tina Mariano, head of Smart’s Public Access Group.

Smart Click 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 Wi-Fi connection providing speeds of up to 1 MBps.

At Smart Click, people can quickly connect with friends, families and relatives here and abroad via e-mail, chat, or webcam. Online and network gaming is also available.

One can also benefit from the desktop publishing services that include sending, printing and scanning of documents and photos.

San Jose, which consists of 18 towns, is the center of trade and commerce, education and local government of Antique and has a population of 70,000. This progressive town is the gateway to Aklan on its north, and to Iloilo on its south.

With access to fast and reliable Internet services via Smart Click, Mariano said entrepreneurs in Antique will likewise have the opportunity to expand their market by selling their products online.

Students, on the other hand, will be able to do research and access a plethora of information with just one click, via the Internet.

"Businesses from the provinces can be more competitive. They can get customers abroad by marketing their products on the Internet. Through the Internet, the town can also invite more tourists to visit its historic and scenic sites," she added.

The Smart Click Internet Café in San Jose is also accessible to residents from nearby towns such as Sibalom, which has a population of about 50,000; Belison, with 20,000 people; and Hamtic, with 35,000 residents.

"In the future, Smart Click will also serve as a distribution channel for Smart’s value-added services such as ringtones, logos and music downloads, and caller ringback tunes, among others," Mariano said.

Smart started the rollout of 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; Surigao del Sur; Balangiga, Eastern Samar; San Juan, Leyte; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; and Concepcion, Tarlac.