Globe Telecom has formally filed a complaint with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) against the use of illegal repeaters as part of its intensified efforts to track down users and sellers of the equipment that cause network interference for subscribers in a specific area.
Illegal repeaters come in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas and wireless adapters that boost network coverage and signal by means of hogging bandwidth from a legitimate Globe network infrastructure. They are installed in between trees, building windows, toilet areas, rooftop areas and building spaces, making them increasingly hard to locate. As a result, Globe subscribers experience dropped calls as well as a significant dip in call quality and clarity.
Monitoring reports from Globe Network Group revealed that there was a significant increase in interference cases in the National Capital Region, specifically in Makati over the last 3 months, with over 80 sites affected.
Taking a proactive stance to combat the growing number of cases that involve the use of illegal repeaters, Globe and NTC started to conduct a joint ocular inspection in February this year to confiscate illegally-installed repeaters and clamp down on sellers of illegal repeaters, including online retailers of these devices. To showcase the serious implications of the illegal practice, NTC issued a show cause order this month to an owner of an illegal repeater in San Andres, Manila.
“Network and clean frequencies are important components for quality delivery of our services. The use of illegal repeaters in order to get good network coverage at the expense of others has no place in this society. It’s a totally unfair practice especially as it impacts a great majority of subscribers in an identified area,” said Atty. Froilan M. Castelo, Head for Corporate and Legal Services at Globe. “With our strengthened partnerships with the police, courts, and other government institutions like the NTC, Globe will remain relentless in going after and prosecuting perpetrators, both users and sellers, to ensure a stable, consistent, and reliable network for Globe subscribers nationwide.”
Globe earlier announced that it is in the thick of a massive $700-million landmark mobile network modernization program that will increase its 2G/3G coverage significantly, enable faster call and data connections, on-time delivery of text messages, and reduced incidence of dropped calls even at peak hours and traffic-heavy occasions. The modernized Globe network is designed to be future-proof, capable of using the most advanced 4G technologies such as HSPA+ and long term evolution (LTE). It is also IPv6 ready and boasts of an all-IP infrastructure for business customers.
