Can You Still Use the Internet During PLDT’s 5-Day Maintenance?

On 23 Sep 2020, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) announced that they would be undergoing emergency maintenance activities for five days this month, and subscribers of the company’s services were left with the following questions:

Can they still use the Internet during the PLDT maintenance? Will their connection be significantly slower? What will happen to their online classes and work commitments?

During a time when most, if not all, of our daily activities have been shifted online as we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the telecommunications giant addressed the public to clarify budding concerns about the said activities. For both PLDT and Smart customers, here’s what you need to know.

Also read: 8 Work from Home Essentials to Finally Build Your Home Office

When will the PLDT maintenance really start?

The original announcement said that the five-day maintenance activities would start today, 25 Sep. However, in a succeeding advisory, PLDT said that they will instead start at 9am on 26 Sep and end at 5am on 30 Sep.

Can PLDT and Smart users still stay connected during the maintenance?

Yes. In the advisory, PLDT said that they wish “to assure PLDT and Smart customers of continued internet connectivity all throughout” and that they have “identified alternative cable systems to keep our connectivity resilient.”

Will your connection be affected at least?

No. PLDT also assured the public that they have adopted measures like traffic rerouting. Basically, the affected Internet traffic will be redirected to PLDT’s other “equally-robust international Cable systems”. This will minimise disruptions in your connection.

Can you continue working or studying from home?

Again, yes. Promising continued Internet connectivity throughout the five-day PLDT maintenance, the telecommunications giant said that those working from home or doing online businesses can still perform Internet-based operations. Meanwhile, students attending online classes can also still go about their virtual school activities.

Also read: What’s It Like to Start a ‘Quarantine Business’ for Filipinos?

The PLDT maintenance will be conducted by the Asia-America Gateway (AAG), an international trans-Pacific submarine cable system, in the waters of Hong Kong. The full advisory is available here.