Smart, Vodafone team up in typhoon affected areas

PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. has teamed up with Vodafone Foundation in providing emergency communications support to areas severely affected by Typhoon Ompong.

Smart said Vodafone Foundation has deployed its ultraportable instant WiFi solution, which can provide a robust and secure WiFi environment to up to 1,500 users across an area of up 10,000 square meters, depending on the strength of available internet connection.

It has also set up an instant charge station, which has the capabilities to charge up to 66 phones simultaneously.

The charging station set up by Vodafone in Itogon, where retrieval operations for landslide victims were ongoing, is able to charge up to 32 phones all at the same time.

“We are happy to work with Vodafone Foundation to provide support to those who were affected by Ompong. These Instant Network solutions complement our stepped-up restoration of communication services in areas where typhoon damage is severe,” PLDT and Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto said.

Smart said Vodafone Foundation has been its longtime partner in providing emergency communications support to residents affected by disasters.

In 2012, the foundation deployed its instant network during Typhoon Pablo, marking the first time Vodafone deployed the system in a country where it did not operate.

A year later, the technology also served residents affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The ultra-portable instant network can provide cellular coverage within three to fivekilometer radius and enable up to 80 calls and thousands of text messages sent simultaneously.

The compact GSM equipment fits into four cases that can be carried on commercial flights, weighs less than 100 kg, and can be mounted in less than 40 minutes.

Ompong, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines so far this year, battered Northern and Central Luzon, causing floods and landslides that killed dozens of people, damaging agriculture, and toppling communication lines.