Technology and revelry: Connect and disconnect

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Story and photos by Prof. Berniemack Arellano

It’s been 11 years and mobile data has gone 5G already.

Back in 2012, it was an opportunity for us to go live streaming for the first time using Smart’s LTE technology (or 4G) at that time, together with Daily Guardian.

3G mobile internet was mainstream at that time and LTE was just new. We couldn’t imagine watching YouTube using 3G at that time, streaming pa!

We were able to broadcast through UStreamTV and the other platform that I already forgot about. Wala pang FB Live or YouTube Live at that time. We were only using my Dell Laptop’s webcam to stream it online.

It was experimental since we were trying to see if mobile streaming was possible through 4G technology. It wasn’t HD and people were complaining about the “basag na drums” recording. However, it did stream. Too bad, we weren’t able to record it offline.

Nowadays, streaming and live are common facets of our 2020s life. The Pandemic has, I guess, expedited the usage of video streaming platforms to bridge the gap in social interaction.

However, it is unfortunate that our policy of mobile shutdown during Dinagyang is a step backward in communications technology and creating a positive buzzword online.

Sinulog this year proceeded without shutting down and they were the talk of the town for that day on Twitter and Facebook. I think there was no signal shutdown during the Quiapo Feast, too. And public WiFi is there.

In an era that is interconnected between reality and the metaverse, Dinagyang’s social presence live online would be weaker unless you’re on WiFi. It is a missed opportunity. This security step felt like going back two decades ago.