Globe blames ‘repeaters’ for weak signal

Mobile carrier Globe Telecom is pinning the blame for the weak signal and low service quality experienced by its users on the rampant use of illegal signal “repeaters” that hog precious bandwidth from the rest of the network.

In a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the company said its network monitoring group had noticed a sudden spike in the number of signal interference cases, indicating the use of repeaters.

Illegal repeaters come in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas and wireless adapters that boost network coverage and signal by means of hogging bandwidth from cell sites.

These are installed in between trees, building windows, toilet areas, rooftop areas and building spaces, making them increasingly hard to locate.

“As a result, Globe subscribers experience dropped calls as well as a significant dip in call quality and clarity,” Globe said in a statement.

Monitoring reports from Globe’s Network Group showed that there was a significant increase in interference cases in the National Capital Region, specifically in Makati City, over the last three months, with over 80 sites affected.

The company said it would bank on the NTC’s prosecutorial powers to go after owners of illegal repeaters.

The company also asked the regulator to clamp down on groups that openly sell repeaters to regular consumers.

“Network and clean frequencies are important components for quality delivery of our services. The use of illegal repeaters in order to get good network coverage at the expense of others has no place in this society,” said Froilan M. Castelo, head of corporate and legal services at Globe.

Globe is the second-largest telecommunications firm in the country with over 30 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter. The company is owned by local conglomerate Ayala Corp. and Singapore’s SingTel group.