PLDT and wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have reconnected the municipality of Dapa in Siargao as it fired up communication equipment near the Surigao del Norte Provincial Capitol sub-office and re-established communication in nearby communities, making Smart the first mobile service provider to restore voice calls and text messages in the area.
Earlier on Tuesday, the PLDT group also restored communication services including 5G in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, becoming the first telco to enable residents to make calls, send text messages and connect to the internet in the aftermath of super typhoon Odette.
Speedtest results in the city registered download speeds reaching 350 Mbps and upload speeds clocking in at around 78 Mbps on Smart 5G.
Meanwhile, LTE services in the northern portion of the province including in the towns of San Vicente, Taytay, Roxas, El Nido and the island group of Coron had weathered Odette allowing customers to send and receive SMS, and transact on their LTE-enabled mobile phones. Voice call is also possible for devices with VoLTE function.
Earlier, PLDT and Smart had already reconnected Surigao City becoming the first to fire up 5G services back in the area. The group is also the first to restore wireless services in other municipalities in Surigao del Norte including Tubod, Bad-as, and Taganito in Claver.
With communication restored, PLDT and Smart started operating Libreng Tawag, Charging and WiFi stations in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Surigao City and in other typhoon-hit communities across the Visayas and Mindanao.
PLDT and Smart have sent additional personnel and equipment to areas of concern tapping the group’s air charter unit Pacific Global One Aviation (PG1) to fast-track repair and restoration activities in areas that have the bore brunt of Odette.
Guided by the group’s core value of ‘malasakit’ or compassion, PLDT and Smart together with the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) have been sending relief aid to severely impacted communities in the Visayas and Mindanao.
With repairs and restoration activities in full swing, PLDT and Smart are committed to bring back affected communication services in remaining badly hit areas the soonest and to extend aid to victims of super typhoon Odette.
