By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A Globe Telecom executive yesterday confirmed, following a recent National Telecommunications Commission meeting, a third telecommunications service provider would be entering the country in the coming months.
While unable to provide full details, Globe Telecom External Affairs for Visayas-Mindanao head Patrick Steven Gloria said the company was informed by President Rodrigo Duterte the administration was working on papers to bring in a third service provider.
“I think they already announced business partners, although they did not announce the main partner from abroad,” Gloria added.
He added, Globe will provide assistance if requested to help bring a new player into the industry.
Meanwhile, Gloria also revealed several reasons why the local internet connection remains slow.
During a talk with local Bacolod City media, he cited several constraints contributing to slow connections, such as not having enough cell sites to support mobile traffic; “right of way issues” for the installation of fiber optic cables, both on poles and underground; and damaged fiber cables from Department of Public Works and Highways excavations.
Other factors include Globe’s current backlog of 3,000 cell sites, which are currently facing permit issues; rumors being spread about health risks related to cell sites; jumpers, or illegal connections; and the absence of standard permit fees, which, he pointed out, take eight months to process.
Gloria was unable to provide an exact number of jumpers in Negros Occidental, but said there were “many.”
With regard to permits, he explained, building one cell site requires 25 permits, including “right of way,” social acceptability, and various town or city permits.
He also debunked rumors surrounding supposed health risks linked to cell sites.
Currently, of the estimated 21,000 cell sites across the country, around 2,244 people share each cell site; which is high, as compared to other countries such as Malaysia, which has 22,000 cell sites with around 937 people sharing each site.
Gloria added, on average, Filipinos spend a total four hours a day connected to social media; a much lengthier span of time as compared to the Japanese, who spend around 40 minutes a day online./DGB, WDJ
