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MANILA - The National Telecommunications Commission on Friday said Globe Telecom Inc. admitted that its ongoing network modernization program has resulted in dropped calls and delayed text messages.
On the sidelines of the RADSHOW 2012, Gamaliel Cordoba, NTC chief, said the agency summoned Globe and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. last week to explain the rising consumer complaints about poor quality of service.
"We called their attention and the reasons that they are giving ay yung kanilang upgrade," Cordoba said, referring to Globe.
"Mas maraming nag-rereklamo sa Globe and I guess it's a function of their customers because they are mostly postpaid," he said, adding that complaints against PLDT unit Smart Communications Inc. were minimal.
At end-June, Globe's postpaid subscriber base stood at 1.59 million, while its prepaid subscribers numbered 30.13 million.
Cordoba said he already ordered Globe and Smart to submit the definite time for the completion of their network modernization programs.
Ramon Isberto, PLDT and Smart spokesperson, said the group has been following minimum standards set by NTC for dropped calls.
"The number of complaints was never asked. What we told the NTC was the quality standards whether we are complying with it and we said yes, we are complying with the minimum quality standard prescribed by the NTC," Isberto said.
Sought for comment, Yolanda Crisanto, Globe spokesperson said the company's $700 million network modernization has "nothing to do" with any network-related problem.
Crisanto said the congestion is because of its legacy network - which requires change - and the explosion of mobile data.
She, however, assured that the change in the company's equipment will be completed in the first quarter of 2013.
Last week, Globe belied rumors being spread in the social media that the company has encountered difficulties modernizing its network.
The Ayala-led telco had said the connectivity issues experienced in some parts of Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Paranaque as well as parts of Manila and Pasay last weekend were due to signaling problems within its existing legacy network.
Globe recently rolled out new equipment in high traffic areas such as in the cities of Davao, Cebu, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela and Marikina, as well as in the towns of Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Cardona, Jala-Jala, Morong, Pililia, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Tanay and Teresa in Rizal.
This means over 3,000 sites had been upgraded and thousands of kilometers of fiber optic cable laid out. Critical areas in Metro Manila are now entering the completion phase with Quezon City at 90 percent completion, Pasig and Mandaluyong to follow next month, and Makati by November, Globe said.
InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, which is a unit of the PLDT group.
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