Your Globe phone can text through a satellite when the towers go down
The DICT is pushing satellite-to-mobile as the backup line for disasters. It starts at 99 pesos, needs a clear view of the sky, and does not work on iPhone yet.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology is telling Filipinos to treat satellite-to-mobile service as their backup line during disasters. DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda said the technology complements the towers and cables we already rely on, and fills the gap when those fail.
Connectivity is not a luxury during a disaster; it is a lifeline. When cell towers go down, or fiber cables are damaged, we need other ways to keep our people connected.
The service is Globe's, run with Starlink. The National Telecommunications Commission approved it for commercial use in a permit signed by Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez, and Globe switched it on in late June as the first such service in the country. Your phone talks straight to satellites flying close to Earth, which work like a cell tower in space. There is no app to install and no extra device to buy.
Why it matters
It has already been used here once. After the magnitude 7.8 earthquake off Sarangani, Globe turned the service on across South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani while the normal network was being repaired. More than 150,000 customers were reached that way. In a country of more than 7,000 islands that gets typhoons every year, a line that survives a flattened cell site is the difference between telling your family you are alive and waiting days to do it.
The catch to watch
It is not free for everyone and it is not full internet. You need an active Globe SIM on a Globe Starlink promo, which starts at 99 pesos for Globe Prepaid and TM. It is included at no extra cost for Globe Platinum and for Postpaid plans of 1,499 pesos and up. You also need an LTE Android phone, because iPhone is not supported yet, and you need to be outdoors with a clear view of the sky. What you get is texting, essential messaging and map apps, and light data. Do not expect video streaming out of it.
The practical move is to check it before you need it. Confirm whether your phone model is on the list and whether your plan already includes it, because a storm that knocks out your signal is the wrong time to find out you were never set up.