Telcos assure consumers working from home

PHILIPPINE telecommunications service providers are working double time to ensure minimal disruption to their operations as more consumers have begun working from home due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Monday, PLDT, Inc. said: “Since the start of the virus, we have been focused on monitoring our network traffic for unusual activity such as usage spikes and possible congestion. At this point, we have sufficient capacity to serve the increased needs of all our subscribers, especially as more and more people start to work from home.”

Globe Telecom, Inc. said separately that it is working to ensure minimal disruption to its operations “given that, now more than ever, connectivity is vital to the country.”

“With the community quarantine over Metro Manila (and subsequently over several cities and provinces outside Metro Manila) only announced on 12 March 2020 and taking effect only on 15 March 2020, impact on Globe’s overall business and network rollout will have to be assessed further,” it added.

It also said that the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 on its business will highly depend on the duration of the community quarantine being implemented.

For its part, Now Corp. said the COVID-19 has “positive impact” on its business “as more clients are applying for Fiber Air subscription due to the government’s encouragement of work from home arrangements in the private sector.”

Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T) said it will ensure “continuous and uninterrupted” delivery of services to its existing and “potential” clients amid the COVID-19 situation.

PLDT said it is providing “zero-rated” access to specific government sites and emergency hotlines.

Globe also offers free and unlimited Internet connection via its GoWiFi services at select hospitals in Metro Manila.

“We realize that telecommunications is a vital industry and we are committed to minimizing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and continue to provide quality services to our subscribers,” PLDT said further. — Arjay L. Balinbin