Globe Telecom in partnership with Starlink deployed its satellite-to-mobile service in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the said provinces. Globe deployed the service to support emergency communications and disaster response in the badly hit areas upon approval of its demo permit from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
The deployment marks Globe’s first use of Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile technology for disaster and emergency response in the Philippines. Over 700,000 Globe and TM customers stand to benefit from the deployment, providing them with messaging through WhatsApp and SMS at a time when it is needed most. Globe will offer the service for free for up to 30 days as critical support to the affected communities until Globe’s network is fully restored.
“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,” said Carl Cruz, President and CEO of Globe. “This initial deployment will show how satellite-to-mobile technology can provide communications support and strengthen network resilience during these times.”
The earthquake prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to issue tsunami warnings for several coastal communities in Southern Mindanao. This also caused network disruptions across multiple provinces, affecting around 30 municipalities as commercial power interruptions impacted telecommunications facilities in several locations.
Globe is working closely with the local government units and local electric cooperatives to fully restore its services in badly hit areas.
Globe will reach out to its customers directly to provide them with instructions to connect to the satellite service using their existing Globe SIMs and LTE enabled phones.
The satellite deployment complements Globe’s broader disaster response efforts across Mindanao.
