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Telecommunications services in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon were disrupted when Typhoon “Ulysses” (international name: Vamco) hit the country on Wednesday.
Communications and Internet services were out of service in areas due to fiber outages and loss of commercial power sources required by cell sites.
PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom said repairs were underway when the storm left the Philippines.
Globe said parts of Metro Manila had intermittent or no signal signals as of Thursday afternoon. He said backup generators and clean energy fuel cells were installed at the power cell sites.
Camarines Sur and Pampanga were also “severely affected by service interruptions.”
“Due to the strong winds from Typhoon Ulysses, several fiber outages were reported in selected areas of [northern Luzon, southern Luzon] and one in [the National Capital Region]. Despite this, the Globe network remains stable with no further damage incurred, “Globe said in an advisory.
Resuming repairs
“Clean energy fuel cells and deployed generators are powering our cell sites given the current energy challenges,” Globe said, adding that Camarines Sur and Pampanga provinces have been hit hard by service outages.
“We will continue to provide service updates to our customers, while repairs in flooded areas will resume as soon as access and safety are assured,” Globe said.
For its part, PLDT and its Smart wireless unit said that “areas with commercial power failures have made it difficult for our subscribers to use their mobile data.”
“Our teams are monitoring the situation and will work to restore services as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Cathy Yang, first vice president and group director of corporate communications for PLDT-Smart.
“The personnel, resources and equipment of our network have been predisposed to work at the sites affected by Typhoon Ulysses,” Yang said.
Yang said PLDT and Smart Stores will be temporarily closed in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Northern Luzon (Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan) and Southern Luzon (all stores except Bicol).
PLDT-Smart said it was ready to provide free Tawag services, free charging and free WiFi “where the public needs it most, once it is safe to do so.”
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