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Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

A bad signal

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Telecommunications is a public utility whose management is granted by the government through Republic Act No. 7925 to private enterprises, via legislative franchise. A franchise carries with it the responsibility of operating and managing the public utility, to the service and satisfaction of the public.

More than ever, telecommunications plays an essential role in our lives. We can’t imagine living without a cellphone, or being connected to the internet.

In the past years, Twitter and Facebook have been replete with hashtags “Globe sucks” and “Smart sucks”, among other creative expressions. Our netizens bewail missing and delayed text messages, dropped calls, static on the line, weak signal, slow connection, low internet speed, unresponsive technical support, exaggerated and erroneous billings, unexplained deduction on prepaid load, and misleading advertisements. This appears to be the pathetic standard of service the telcos have been providing.

In a span of 20 years, various House Resolutions and House Bills, calling for investigations, and proposing amendments to the provisions of telecommunications laws and franchises, have been filed as a result of public grievances. I would have hoped that this would prompt the service providers to improve their services. The outcry fell on deaf ears. Maybe the telcos have weak signals too.

We need radical solutions to address the deplorable state of telecommunications in our country. In the absence of any urgent measures to be taken by these companies, I would urge the government to revoke these franchises for failure to responsibly operate and manage public resources.

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What makes this situation even more egregious is these telco companies have the guts to religiously charge its consumers, both postpaid and prepaid subscribers, despite the lack of acceptable level of service. From personal experience, I have a postpaid line that has not been able to make and receive calls for a month. Neither have they responded to our requests for technical visits. Should I pay my monthly dues when service was not available to me for an entire month? We cannot let these telcos make exponential profit while services continue to deteriorate. Corporate greed has no place in the operation of public utilities.

At the start of his administration, the President said, the Philippines is open for business. What business climate can we present, if telecommunications appears to be failing endeavor? The Minority will also examine if there are administrative weaknesses that contribute to the problem. Has the NTC been vigilant in regulating this industry? I will be filing the appropriate resolutions to determine the source of the problem, and to identify clear, and urgent solutions.

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