Batanes finally goes mobile

BASCO, Batanes – Ivatans watching the Palarong Pambansa at the provincial athletic grounds last Tuesday, were surprised when they saw several of their provincemates using cellular phones, which they have never seen before.

The cellular phone service was switched on without fanfare that day by the Ivatan Foundation for Development Communications Inc. (IFDCI), which holds the franchise for the newest telecommunications facility here.

Demi Narag, IFDCI director, said the official launch of the phone service was scheduled yet on July 16 when top executives of their mother company would be around. Previous commitments, however, prevented them from coming earlier.

Smart Communications Inc. is responsible for linking this northernmost province to the world via the mobile phone service. It recently signed a contract allowing the IFDCI to use its facilities.

The IFDCI also operates several public calling stations in the three biggest inhabited islands of the province and an Internet café in this capital town, using the facilities of Smart Communications.

Only the Smart Link telephone service, which was launched last year, is not operated by IFDCI.