MANILA, Philippines, May 16, 2013 – With respect to press reports that “weak signals” had caused delays in the transmission of election returns, we wish to state that the fixed and mobile networks of PLDT, Smart and Sun Cellular were fully functional throughout the electoral exercise. Transmissions actually sent through our networks were promptly delivered to the COMELEC and PPCRV servers in Manila.
 
In fact, COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., in his press briefing Wednesday (May 15) said weak signals were not the major reason for the slow transmission of election returns.
 
He said that: “Yung mga walang signals do affect the transmission through the province or the city to dito sa amin – pero di masyado problema yun.  A major problem in the transmission of PCOC and the City COC is really the disputes and the ‘incomplete’.”
 
It is worth pointing out that in the May 2010 elections, nearly 80% of the election results were successfully transmitted to the central data servers of the COMELEC and the PPCRV 12 hours after the polling precincts were closed.
 
From a purely telecoms standpoint, there is no reason why a similar, if not better, result should have been achieved in 2013.