Manila, March 2 -- Telecommunications company PLDT-Smart and Lynk Global completed a field test of their direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications service in Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.

In a statement on Monday, PLDT-Smart said these areas face the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and are known for pockets of limited terrestrial mobile coverage.

"[The test] underscores the technology's potential to provide critical connectivity to remote areas and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) across the Philippines," it said.

During the field test, PLDT-Smart and Lynk engineers exchanged text messages between smartphones located in Ilocos Norte and Metro Manila, and accessed key public information platforms, i...