Smart, Globe speed up network restoration

MANILA, Philippines - Engineers of Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. continued to speed up network restoration in provinces battered by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Smart reported yesterday that the firm has restored mobile network coverage in Guiuan, Eastern Samar where the typhoon first made landfall last Nov. 8.

Smart and Vodafone engineers used ultra-portable Instant Network setup to restore cellular services yesterday at the town’s center, allowing residents to contact their family and loved ones outside the storm-affected areas after being isolated for several days.

Likewise, a Multi-Equipment-On-Wheels (MEOW) arrived yesterday and was immediately fired up to cover the airport and seaport areas to directly aid in the communications requirements of humanitarian efforts for immediate relief and rehabilitation.

Smart and Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) have restored 85 percent of their affected networks in the Visayas.

Working with Vodafone Foundation, Smart was able to quickly deploy Instant Network setups that provided immediate restoration of cellular services in Palo, Leyte and in Borongan, Eastern Samar last week.

In Leyte, network coverage has already been restored in Albuera, Babatngon, Bato, Calubian, Baybay, Dulag, Hilongos, Hindang, Inopacan, Isabel, Kananga, MacArthur, Mahaplag, Matag-ob, Matalom, Merida, Ormoc, Palo, Palompon, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tabango, Tacloban, and Villaba.

In Tacloban City alone, Smart has been able to fire up five cell sites that cover the main downtown and airport areas. An Instant Network was fired up in Palo last Nov. 15. 

Smart has fully restored mobile coverage in cities and municipalities in Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Negros Oriental and Southern Leyte.

On the other hand, Globe reported it has further expanded its cellular coverage in Visayas region to 80 percent amid accelerated restoration efforts.

Globe has so far restored 90 percent of its network in Cebu and Bohol, 97 percent in Negros Occidental, 97 percent in Negros Oriental, 90 percent in Leyte, 75 percent in Northern Samar and 76 percent in Iloilo, and 60 percent in Antique.

In Leyte and Panay islands, Globe continued to restore additional cell sites, further expanding its cellular service in the islands, which were severely affected by the recent typhoon.

Cellular service in Leyte now covers the municipalities of Kananga, Matag-ob after establishing earlier mobile connection in Bato, Hilongos, Inopacan, Matalom and Santa Fe and the cities of Baybay, Ormoc and Tacloban, all in Leyte. 

In Southern Leyte, the municipalities with restored cellular service include Bontoc, Hinundayan, Libagon, Lilo-an, Macrohon, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, San Ricardo, Saint Bernard, San Francisco, San Juan, Silago, Sogod and in Tomas Oppus.