PLDT tests cell-to-sat tech against disaster
PLDT Inc.’s wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. has completed another round of tests for its direct-to-device satellite technology, this time simulating disaster scenarios in Batangas where traditional mobile networks may become unavailable.
In a statement, PLDT said the latest trials showed the technology, being tested in partnership with US-based Lynk Global, could allow standard mobile phones to receive emergency alerts and public safety messages even when beyond the reach of terrestrial cell sites.
Direct-to-device technology uses low-earth orbit satellites to connect directly with mobile phones, potentially extending basic connectivity to so-called “dead zones,” or areas beyond the reach of conventional network infrastructure.
PLDT said such capability could be crucial during natural disasters, when damage to cell towers can disrupt communications.
“For us, this goes beyond technology,” PLDT COO Menardo Jimenez Jr. said in a statement. “Our mission at PLDT is to be there for all Filipinos, whether they are talking to family abroad, or requesting assistance from a rooftop in the middle of a calamity.”
Smart’s network strategy and architecture team conducted the Batangas trials with Lynk, building on earlier tests in Catanduanes and Ilocos Norte this year.
The trials follow the telco’s partnership with Lynk forged in October 2025.
Apart from being used during emergencies, Smart said the satellite-to-cell technology could also eventually enable subscribers to send SMS messages when terrestrial cell towers are unavailable, including during power outages.
It could also extend connectivity to far-flung areas that are either underserved or entirely beyond the reach of terrestrial cell networks.
The technology could even be used by fisherfolk and people traveling by sea, Smart added.
PLDT has yet to say when it plans to commercially roll out the direct-to-device technology.
Its rival Globe Telecom Inc. rolled out its own direct-to-cell offering in June in partnership with Starlink after securing clearance from the National Telecommunications Commission.
Globe’s satellite service is currently available only on Android LTE smartphones.
Globe had also tested direct-to-cell connectivity for disaster response.
