PLDT, Smart say telco services restored in more Odette-hit areas

PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit, Smart Communications, said Wednesday they have restored telecommunications services in more areas hit by Typhoon Odette.

In a statement, PLDT and Smart said they had reconnected the municipality of Dapa in Siargao, "making Smart the first mobile service provider to restore voice calls and text messages in the area," as they fired up communication equipment near the Surigao del Norte Provincial Capitol sub office and re-established communication in nearby communities.

"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 [typhoon] Odette,” the statement said.

Speedtest results in the city registered download speeds reaching 350 Mbps and upload speeds clocking in at around 78 Mbps on Smart 5G, the telco said.

PLDT and Smart said LTE services in the northern portion of Palawan, 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 or voice over LTE function. 

PLDT and Smart said they had already reconnected Surigao City, becoming the first to fire up 5G services back in the area.

The group was also the first to restore wireless services in other municipalities in Surigao del Norte, including Tubod, Bad-as, and Taganito in Claver, they said.

“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,” the telco said.

PLDT and Smart said they 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 borne the brunt of Odette. 

“With repairs and restoration activities in full swing, PLDT and Smart are committed to bring back affected communication services in remaining badly hit areas soonest and to extend aid to victims of typhoon Odette,” the telco said. — VBL, GMA News