Globe Telecom uncovers 15 cases of illegal repeater use and sale

Photo shows actual removal of illegal repeater by a representative  of the National Telecommunications Commission

Globe Telecom reported it has uncovered and resolved 15 cases involving the use and sale of illegal repeaters or signal boosters following concerted efforts by the company and police authorities to tackle the issue. Globe recently launched the campaign against illegal repeaters or signal boosters in 2011 following increasing incidence of signal interference cases, as gleaned by the company’s network monitoring group.

“Everyone needs to understand that the use of illegal repeaters or signal booster without permission from the carrier concerned is against the law as it causes interference and adversely affects other subscribers,” said lawyer Froilan Castelo, head of Globe Corporate Legal Security Group.

He emphasized the effort to arrest the use of such illegal repeaters should be undertaken not only by telecommunication companies concerned but also by affected subscribers: “We would like to appeal to our subscribers to report to us suspected cases of network interference due to the use of an illegal repeater within the vicinity,” Castelo said.

Incidents of interference usually indicate the use of repeaters as such devices are not coordinated with other telecommunications infrastructure of the mobile network. In recent years, numerous incidence of interference had been noted particularly in the metropolitan Manila area.

Illegal repeaters come in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas and wireless adapters which boost network coverage and signal by hogging bandwidth from a legitimate network infrastructure.

Since the campaign was launched two years ago, joint police and Globe Security and Anti-fraud operatives have recorded various cases involving the use of illegal repeaters.  Some of these illegal repeaters have been detected were located in Roxas Blvd. Sta. Mesa, San Andres, Ermita, areas in Manila, Pasay City, San Juan,  Quezon City and in Naga City.

Some of those caught selling were establishments in Pasig City, Sta.Cruz, Manila, Greenhills in San Juan, Bago Bantay in Quezon City and in Cebu City.

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