Filtered By: Topstories
News

Poll results will be transmitted without any problems, Smartmatic, telcos say


The Philippines’ supplier of automated voting machines and several telecommunications companies assured the public that poll results on election day will be transmitted without any problems. On Wednesday, poll machine supplier Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) signed a contract with Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications Inc., Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc, We are I.T. Philippines, Inc (WIT), and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) for the transmission of results during the May polls. The contract is part of the P7.2 billion deal between Smartmatic and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec officials witnessed the contract signing between Smartmatic-TIM and several telecommunications companies for the transmission of results on election day.Kim Tan
Smartmatic-TIM project director Alberto Castro said the contract just "formalizes" the participation of the different technologies involved in the automation project. "This is an industry effort, all the major telecommunications companies are involved and are tasked to ensure that all the results are properly transmitted," said Smart Public Affairs Head Mon Isberto after the contract signing. Services Smart, PLDT, and Globe will be providing the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), a mobile data service available to users of the 2G cellular communication systems global system for mobile communications (GSM). The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines require GSM network radio signals — the same kind used by cellular mobile phones for calls and SMS — to transmit election results. Digitel will be also be providing GPRS services and a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) for the canvassing and data centers. On the other hand, WIT will be providing the Broadband Global Area Networks (BGAN) and Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) for areas without cellular signals, which is 30 percent of the total polling places nationwide. Assurance Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal also assured that those using jamming devices to disrupt transmission of election results won’t succeed. "It will not stop the transmission... it may delay but it will not stop the proclamation of the candidates," he said. Although jamming is a "concern," it will not affect the operations of their networks, Isberto said, adding all infrastructure facilities are already "in place." Jose Maddatu of WIT likewise said that the company has already set up stations all over the Philippines as directed by Smartmatic. "This is a very historic thing for us. We are very proud to be part of it," he said. Digitel spokesman Bill Pamintuan also said that his company foresee no problems for the telcos during the elections. "We have already done our testings with the Comelec, so far there have been no problems reported during those tests," he said. Relief Comelec chairman Jose Melo, for his part, said the poll body will finally be able to heave a sigh of relief with the formalization of the agreement. "For a while you gave us a scare there was some doubt that Globe and PLDT would cotinue with this exercise. They let their patriotism prevail that their business fears," he said after the contract signing. The poll body chief was pertaining to the time when the two telcos refused to house poll servers at their data centers owing to fears that the elections would disrupt and pose security threats to their normal operations. Later on, the two companies offered other facilities that were in compliance with the standards set by Smartmatic. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT