GLOBE Telecom Inc. will comply with the regulators’ newest order, which is to divulge the minimum interconnection speed to the public, but warned that there “could be a problem” in complying with the mandated 80-percent service reliability.
Ernest Cu, Globe president, said yesterday the cellular firm has yet to get a full grasp of the NTC office order 07-07-2011 since the agency has not yet issued the implementing rules and regulations.
Cu, however, said regulators “should try to understand” there is difficulty in measuring service reliability, particularly during peak hours.
“A coffee shop offering Internet access is empty during the day but after office hours the place could be full. When the place is full, [they] use up capacity. Therefore, the performance of the service is very difficult to gauge. This is really difficult to measure especially when connection runs on 3G [third-generation] mobile service. You don’t know how many subscribers can be handled at [any] particular time,” explained Cu.
Cu said, Globe’s current network can handle the surge in broadband demand. But if regulators impose a certain percentage of service reliability at a specified given time then “that would be a problem.”
“If you want us to add capacity then the price could go up. Every cell site can handle only so much. I don’t know if I can guarantee [full service],” he said, adding that the NTC has got to be clear on how service reliability will be measured.
Under the said order, the NTC has set at a minimum of 80 percent the service reliability on Internet services. “The service offers shall specify the service rates for a minimum broadband connection speed and the service reliability,” it said.
Service providers offering committed information rate are mandated to comply with NTC memorandum circular 12-19-2004 which imposes a 98.5-percent rate that must be delivered to the customer.
The NTC will file an administrative case against the service provider that fails to comply with the order.
Complaints on slow Internet connection speed prompted the regulators to draft an order that would compel broadband service providers to disclose their minimum Internet connection speed. This is meant to address complaints on poor quality and very low speed as oppose to the providers’ advertised connection speed.
NTC office order 07-07-2011 states that all broadband service providers shall specify the minimum interconnection speed, service reliability and rates via advertisements, flyers, brochures and service agreements with subscribers.
The NTC said the public has the right to be informed of the quality of the broadband or Internet connection service being provided, noting that service providers only reveal the maximum speed and not the minimum internet speed.
“The subscribers shall be properly informed of the broadband connection service being offered to them,” stated the NTC order.
