Globe Telecom, in partnership with Starlink, installed satellite-to-mobile service in select provinces of Southern Mindanao that were badly hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, including South Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat.
The service was deployed by Globe to support disaster response and emergency communications in the severely affected areas after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved its demo permit. And for the first time, the telco used Starlink's satellite-to-mobile technology for these purposes.
The rollout will provide WhatsApp and SMS messaging to over 700k Globe and TM users during critical times. Globe will provide free service for 30 days to support affected communities until its network is completely restored.
Carl Cruz, Globe Telecom president and CEO, stated:
We are grateful for the opportunity to support our kababayans in Mindanao, and we hope that through the demo permits previously issued by the NTC, this deployment will demonstrate how this technology really works. This initial deployment will show how satellite-to-mobile technology can provide communications support and strengthen network resilience during these times.
Commercial power interruptions affected telecommunications facilities in many provinces, disrupting networks in 30 municipalities.
Per Globe, they are working with local government units and electric cooperatives to restore their regular network services in severely hit areas.
Globe will contact customers directly to inform them on how to connect to the Starlink-powered satellite service using their Globe/TM SIMs and LTE smartphones.
For Globe and TM users in the said areas who have used this service offering limited-time free data and messaging, I would welcome your comments or feedback on your internet connection experience. – PinoyTechSaga
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