NTC orders telcos: Ensure uninterrupted services amid Ursula, holidays

Globe cell site in Catangnan in Quezon. (File Photo)

MANILA, Philippines–The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to ensure uninterrupted services for the public amid the onslaught of Typhoon Ursula.

In a memorandum, the NTC directed PTEs to provide a sufficient number of technical and support personnel and standby generators with extra fuel, tools, and spare equipment in areas forecast to be affected by Typhoon Ursula.

As of Wednesday morning, Typhoon Ursula continues to intensify as it made its fourth landfall in Iloilo, after hitting Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Biliran. By Thursday morning, it is expected to be 150km northwest of Coron, Palawan.

In addition, the PTEs are also ordered to prepare mobile cellsites and offer free calls and charging services in affected areas.

Meanwhile, in an earlier memorandum dated December 20, the NTC also called for uninterrupted telecommunication services during the holiday season.

PTEs are ordered to provide all types of service offerings, including internet access, especially on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Necessary network adjustments and maintenance should also be implemented beforehand to ensure that networks can accommodate the expected increase in traffic during the holidays.

The NTC also called for 99.99 percent network availability and reliability, to be ensured by a sufficient number of operations and maintenance personnel.