Globe Telecom is requesting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and DPWH contractors, to avoid damaging Globe’s fiber cables, in light of two recent incidents that caused the loss Globe mobile services and affected broadband and enterprise circuits in Northern Luzon and Mindanao.
Such incidents may also affect Emergency Response (and other government services) as Globe provides access to both 911 and 888 (the government’s emergency and complaint hotline, respectively) as well as inbound and outbound SMS for 2286 (BATO), a text hotline for the public to report incidents directly to the Philippine National Police.
Globe continues to experience hundreds of cable cuts attributed to road-construction related activities undertaken by DPWH contractors.
Two Separate Fiber Cut Incidents
On May 21, a Globe underground fiber was damaged due to DPWH soil testing at Agua Grande, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, thereby, impacting Globe customers in Cagayan, Apayao, Kalinga, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Cauayan City, and Tuguegarao.
The following day, some parts of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Sibugay, Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, Zambaoanga del Norte, and Misamis Occidental also suffered service interruption after a Globe underground fiber was hit by a backhoe during pile driving activity of DPWH at Butadon Bridge, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.
Forced to file legal cases versus contractors
Some of these cable incidents have led to major network disruption that affected call, text and internet services of Globe. These incidents have forced Globe to file criminal and civil cases against the contractors.
“The growing incidence of fiber cuts is getting to be a major concern for us and we would like to appeal to DPWH and their contractors to be extra cautious in the execution of their projects to avoid recurrence of accidental cuts and damage to our cable facilities,” said Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo.
Liked this post? Follow SwirlingOverCoffee on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
