Telecom service down in Northern Luzon

The onslaught of Typhoon Lawin early Thursday has disrupted the service operations of Globe Telecom Inc. in parts of Northern Luzon.

The 225 kph winds from the typhoon resulted in commercial power interruption, multiple fiber cuts and service disruptions, the telco said in an emailed statement. "Globe reported voice, call and data service disruptions in selected areas in Abra, Cagayan, Kalinga, portions of Ilocos Norte, and Apayao."

Customers in those areas will experience difficulty in accessing communications services, but the company said it has deployed technical teams to restore the damaged facilities.

"Globe is also in close coordination with government agencies to deploy relief operations in areas affected by the typhoon," said Yoly Crisanto, Globe senior vice president for Corporate Communications.

Smart phone service

PLDT Inc.'s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. noted its phone service is available in 80 percent of the cities and municipalities of North and Central Luzon as of 10:00 a.m. Thursday.

"Smart services were most severely affected in the provinces directly in the path of the storm — Cagayan, Isabela, Benguet, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, and Mountain Province," Smart said in a separate advisory.

"No significant damage to Smart's network infrastructure has been reported so far. However, power outages are hampering the restoration of services," it added.

According to Smart, pre-positioned teams of engineers and technicians have already been deployed to restore wireless communications in affected areas.

"Alongside restoration efforts, Smart is providing free call and free charging services to affected communities. Smart is now offering Libreng Tawag using Smart Satellite Phones at Santa Bridge, located in Barangay Sta. Tumauini, Isabela," it said.

"Libreng Charging services are also available at Aurora Telecoms in Baler, Aurora," it added.
Lawin is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) late Thursday. Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 remains in place in some areas in Northern Luzon. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News