“What is it doing to upgrade its services?”
It’s been over a year since President Duterte warned telecommunications companies of being shut down if they did not improve their customer services by the end of 2020.
It was in the President’s SONA in July last year when he gave Smart and Globe six months to upgrade their wireless telephone and broadband services.
We are already in the middle of August 2021 but customers of the telcos, particularly Globe subscribers, have not experienced any improvement in the services at all. In fact, many of them say Globe services have even deteriorated.
The President said the last two years of his administration will prioritize improving the telecommunications system in the country without the services of the telecom giants.
“I have two years. The next two years will be spent on improving the telecommunications of this country without you. I will find a way. I will talk to Congress and find a way to do it,” he said.
“Don’t make us wait for ten years to experience the kind of service being enjoyed by other countries,” he went on to say.
Come to think of it, it is imperative for the Duterte administration to see this promise fulfilled in the midst of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. People need to observe health protocols like social distancing and communicate effectively during lockdowns and community quarantine.
Next month, the Department of Education (DepEd) begins implementing the second year of “blended learning” in both public and private schools with 27 million elementary and high school students needing to use mobile phone and internet services.
Telco groups of companies are among the modern-day oligarchs that shape or, in many ways, determine our quality of life in terms of communication. We have to communicate with each other every minute of our life.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) have been inept and useless in addressing the telco issues.
Being a longtime Globe subscriber myself, I share the agony and predicament of millions of Globe customers who have to put up with the poor phone signal and slow internet in exchange for exorbitant fees we pay.
The telecom companies had blamed “red tape” and corruption in the processing of their applications for building permits by local government units (LGUs) to install new cell sites in different areas to boost their signal. I believe this has been addressed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
We can understand bad weather, especially typhoons, can affect telephone signals but this should not be the case during sunny days. It is inexcusable to constantly experience poor phone connection, dropped calls, weak internet signal, and intermittent online connection.
Globe customers said they get weak or no signal at all even in open spaces, like along Skyway 3.
Indeed, Globe has shamelessly shortchanged its millions of subscribers.
Stiff government sanctions are in order if Globe continues to renege on its obligation to render quality services for which it had been granted permit to operate.
The government should shut down Globe altogether if it continues to dupe us with empty promises this year.
Don’t tell me Globe maintains inferior technology than that of Smart which, on the other hand, has levelled up to clearer, stronger phone signals, and speedier internet.
Manny V. Pangilinan’s PLDT/Smart said they have been investing heavily on technology and adding cell sites to upgrade their services. I don’t know about Globe.
Small wonder that more Globe customers are switching to Smart or Dito, the newbie telco now taking Mindanao by storm.