Globe recently submitted its proposal to the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to amend the NTC Memo, (NTC MO 01-02-2013) to curb the use of illegal repeaters proliferating in online stores. Globe is appealing to NTC to allow only type-approved repeaters or signal boosters that are industry certified to prevent interference with network signals contributing to poor network experience.
The company says the prevalent use of illegal repeaters, while prohibited since 2013 by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), can bring the entire signal of a community, a barangay or even the whole town or city down.
These illegal repeaters interfere with network signals hence the neighborhood or the community will experience weak signals, slow connections, dropped calls and poor voice call quality.
Globe has already made recommendations to the NTC on how to address the threats and concerns raised by the use and availability of illegal repeaters in the market. These include users and subscribers shall purchase and use RF repeaters that are type-approved by telecommunications companies or telcos; authorized users and subscribers shall cease operating the RF repeaters immediately if requested by the Commission or a mobile network operator (MNO), and the Commission shall conduct a monthly routine inspection and scanning of all CMTS frequencies to mitigate the interference caused by unauthorized radio transmitting devices.
Illegal repeaters or signal boosters are devices used for boosting mobile phone reception. They have three units: a reception antenna, a signal amplifier, and an internal rebroadcast antenna. These illegal repeaters are uncalibrated thus not suitable to local mobile conditions and require tuning or filtering to be effective.
These illegal repeaters negate the efforts of telcos to expand their capability and connectivity by building more cell towers or cell sites.
Moreover, these boosters interfere with mobile phone networks that may even put people’s safety into danger when they need to make emergency calls.
“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 especially in these times where connectivity is an essential part of every Filipino household if illegal repeaters keep on negating our efforts to improve the experience. More importantly, illegal 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,” Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe Chief Legal Counsel, said.
Aside from these, illegal repeaters likewise impact the operations of local businesses in a given area. Just like ordinary customers, business establishments will also experience all the negative effects of illegal repeaters in their location.
The sale of illegal repeaters is very common in online shopping websites, online marketplace, online shopping apps and in physical electronics and communications stores all over the country which is a direct violation of an existing memorandum of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued in 2013.
The telco industry has been working closely with the NTC in the campaign against illegal repeaters. Globe, for its part, has been supportive of calls for NTC to come up with an updated memorandum against those who bring, sell and use illegal repeaters in the country.
Globe is also working with several tech companies to bring in authorized repeaters. Globe will see to it that these network approved repeaters are tested and proven not to put any Globe customer or community at any danger at all times. Also, these devices must not interfere with Globe’s network signals.