Tag Archives: MCT

The first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in San Pablo – MSC Net

When the Internet first became popular in the mid 90’s, the common way of accessing the Internet was through a dial-up connection.  The PC was connected to the MODEM, then to the telephone line.  The user needed to dial an ISP or Internet Service Provider number and the ISP connected him to the Internet.  Connection was slow by today’s standard ( 9.6kbps was super fast then, and it took at least 14 minutes to download a 1MB file).  What was worse was that one’s telephone was busy the whole time they were connected to the net and they pay the ISP and the telephone company separately ( sometimes with long distance charges )

The telecom giants were not offering Internet connection to homes/offices at the time.  There were no DSL connections yet, but people subscribed to this dial up system just to do emails and browse the Internet.

In San Pablo City, MSC provided the first Internet service by establishing MSC Communications Technologies, Inc. (MSC Net).  Not only did MSC Net provide Internet to the public, it also made Internet accessible to all of its students.  They were given unlimited access to the net and individual email addresses, making MSC the first school to provide Internet to ALL its students.

mct logo and ppcard

MSC Net and Laguna Internet were the first ISPs in Laguna, providing Internet to households 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Among the subscribers of MSC Net were doctors & other prominent professionals, government officials and institutions.  To name a few, these were: the office of the Mayor (Mayor Boy Aquino), CARD bank, San Pablo Doctors Hospital, Honda Cars, NSO Laguna, office of the Vice Governor, DLSP, SPCWD, Franklin Baker Co., Atson, BSP, Hidden Spring, Manels Total Dept. Store, SPCNSAT, NFA, Colette’s, Villa Escudero, and Siesta Residencia de Arago. Many San Pablo organizations got their first email addresses ( and domains ) through MSC Communications Technologies.

The MSC web site ( www.msc.edu.ph ) is perhaps the first and now the oldest web site in San Pablo City, and is so authoritative, its contents are referenced even by Internet giants like Wikipedia.

When telecom companies started offering Internet to the public, both ISPs naturally could not compete, and eventually lost customers.

But MSC takes pride in its pioneering efforts to bring the Internet to Laguna and San Pablo. It continues to bring computer education to the City of Seven Lakes, and provide email to its students.