Skype trouble for Filipinos likely for 45 days

Dubai - Repercussions of the storm that struck Hong Kong.

The storm in Hong Kong may have moved on, but the damage it has left behind will take some time to fix.
In fact, the repercussions are being felt over 1,300km away in the Philippines.
With the storm severing several undersea cables, internet speed in the Philippines has been reduced to a trickle, and may continue this way for a month and a half.
This means patchy audio and freezing video screens when Filipino expat workers in the UAE call their loved ones back home.
According to a Filipino Times report, local telecom network PLDT and Converge ICT Solutions have announced that their subscribers could experience poor Internet quality up to a maximum time of six weeks. Repairs are currently under way for the damaged cables and PLDT said in a Facebook post that they are working closely with overseas partners to speed up the repair work.

Internet connection in the Philippines is already troublesome, and a report from local newspaper Philippine Star says that the country posted the slowest Internet speed in the world during the fourth quarter of 2016. It is followed by India at the bottom rank.

• UAE
• Philippines