Following last week’s devastation of super typhoon Rolly, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. reports that it has activated more sites in Catanduanes and Albay as of the morning of November 11, 2020, allowing for the return of LTE service to more areas in the provinces.
This development follows the near-complete restoration of mobile network services to the rest of Bicol and Southern Luzon. Smart is the first telecommunications network to restore its services in the region following the departure of Rolly.
After Rolly, Smart had also set up free call, charging, and wifi stations in typhoon-hit provinces, namely Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur. “We’re proud and grateful for the tireless work our field personnel have put in working 24/7, restoring our telco services to the hardest-hit provinces through the series of typhoons that have hit the region in as many weeks,” says PLDT-Smart FVP & Group Head for Corporate Communications Cathy Yap-Yang. “We have prepared for Ulysses and have prepositioned our reinforcements along the typhoon’s track to ensure we’re there first, to restore and offer free telco services where needed.”
As Typhoon Ulysses batters Southern Luzon this week, Smart continues to stay on high alert to ensure the resilience of its network and, if needed, the quick restoration of communication in areas that Ulysses will impact.
According to PAGASA, Ulysses, which intensified into a typhoon early November 11, will hit not only Southern Luzon, but also Metro Manila and Central Luzon.
The rest of the MVP Group is also ready and in place to mitigate other devastating effects of the typhoon.
