Globe Telecom, Inc. is requesting regulators to address the growing number of sellers of “illegal” repeaters online, or devices that boost internet signals, as these interfere with network signals among communities.
In a statement released on Friday, the telco operator said it wrote a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to amend current rules to allow only type-approved repeaters.
Among its suggestions are requiring subscribers to buy and use repeaters that are type-approved by telcos, and doing a monthly inspection of frequencies to monitor any interference caused by unauthorized radio transmitting devices.
“We are exerting so much effort in making the mobile and internet experience more enjoyable and pleasant for our customers. These expansion and network rollouts, however, will be useless… if illegal repeaters keep on negating our efforts to improve experience,” Globe Chief Legal Counsel Vicente Froilan M. Castelo said in the statement.
Globe noted illegal repeaters are common on online shopping sites, but these are prohibited by the NTC through Memorandum Order No. 01-02-2013.
“[I]llegal repeaters may boost the weak signal of a user but these unauthorized devices likewise put into risk the lives of other people in the community who need assistance in matters of life and death situations,” Mr. Castelo said.
The company is eyeing to introduce “authorized” repeaters by working with several technology companies. It said it will make sure these will not interfere with Globe’s network signals. — Denise A. Valdez
