Smart satellites viable for towns close to West Philippine Sea

March 4, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The wireless arm of telecom giant PLDT Inc. has achieved a breakthrough in its push for satellite connectivity by completing tests in municipalities close to the West Philippine Sea.

Smart is inching closer to activating its direct-to-device satellite service following the success of tests in Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud, which are coastal towns in Ilocos Norte.

Facing the West Philippine Sea, the municipalities endure some of the most erratic coverages in the country, limiting internet access for locals and tourists.

This may change soon once Smart activates its direct-to-device satellite solution in collaboration with Lynk Global Inc. The service aims to provide basic messaging and web access to consumers in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

The tests allowed people in Ilocos Norte and Metro Manila to exchange messages, exhibiting the technology’s capability to deliver texts. Likewise, testers were able to access public information channels like the website of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

As such, PLDT chief operating officer Menardo Jimenez Jr. said the solution can be maximized for disaster response, maritime connectivity and public safety.

“(The) direct-to-device satellite technology gives PLDT and Smart a powerful way to overcome geographic challenges of serving an archipelago,” Jimenez said.

National Telecommunications Commission regional director Glenn Mercado said there are areas for improvement in the technology, but believes these issues would be addressed before rollout.

“As with any emerging technology, there are areas that still need refinement. But given that these are early results, we are hopeful that as the solution matures, it can be part of measures to extend connectivity to remote and underserved communities,” Mercado said.

Based on an earlier timeline, Smart will launch the technology for commercial use in 2027. The goal right now for the telco is to develop more use cases for the solution.

Smart’s partner Lynk deploys satellites to become what it calls cellular towers in space, as it aims to beam bandwidth to 90 percent of the earth unserved by land-based assets.

China ships in WPS

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy recorded the presence of 62 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels in four key features in the West Philippine Sea last month.

The foreign vessels included 11 People’s Liberation Army-Navy ships and 12 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats around Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and two PLAN and 15 CCG vessels in Ayungin Shoal.

There were also six warships and seven coast guard vessels in the area of Escoda Shoal and five PLAN vessels and four CCG boats in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island.

“These figures reflect continued illegal CCG presence in areas wherein the Philippines exercises sovereignty, jurisdiction and sovereign rights,” the Philippine Navy said. — Michael Punongbayan