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PSS rolls out first phase of WOW program
The Public School System launched the first phase of its WiFi on Wheels, or WOW program, last Wednesday and expects the program to grow once word starts to circulate in the community.
According to Lorraine Catienza, PSS Distance Education coordinator, the first day went as expected. Not too many availed of the free WiFi, but PSS expects the number to rise as word about the WOW program spreads, she said.
“We’re still waiting for more people to come check it out. We’re not too sure if people heard about the pilot yet. Hopefully, throughout the week we’ll have more people coming out to use the WiFi,” she said.
Each PSS bus, which is equipped with WiFi, can accommodate 30-40 devices and the WOW program has four buses. Come June 1, PSS will expand the WOW program to the whole island of Saipan, on a rotation schedule. For now, Kagman is Phase 1 of the WOW program since Kagman village has limited public internet access.
“We are going to be expanding come June 1 after testing here in Kagman. We’re going to be on a rotation schedule like Mondays in the north, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in different parts of the island, and Thursday and Fridays in a different area. This way, the whole island can have access to WOW,” Catienza said.
She assures parents that the WOW program’s devices have content filtering so inappropriate sites are inaccessible. Each device has download speeds of up to 10 megabytes.
“We have both providers on the bus so, if I’m not mistaken, it downloads up to 10 megabytes per device and each bus has four devices,” she said.
The WOW program is being funded for four months or up until schools reopen in September. The program is a partnership between PSS, IT&E, and Docomo Pacific.
The goal of WOW is to support continued learning enrichment, communication, and access to information for students and community members who do not have internet access at home. PSS has equipped its school busses with WiFi capabilities and will mobilize them in strategic locations throughout the islands.
