Gatchalian blasts ‘constant poor internet service’ of telcos

Three months after the President’s ultimatum to the telecommunications companies to improve their services, consumers continue to suffer from unreliable internet connectivity in the country, Senator Win Gatchalian said on Friday.

Add to this, he said, is the poor customer service afforded by telcos to its subscribers who lodge complaints over data concerns and deficient broadband services, among many others.

“To say that the public is not getting their money’s worth is an understatement. The lackadaisical attitude in the face of the subscribers’ problems is appalling especially at this time when we are all aware of the necessity of internet services in every household and commercial establishment in the country,” Gatchalian said.

He noted that in the case of Valenzuela City, residents had to seek the intervention of the local chief executive out of frustration just to have their internet connection fixed.

Despite reports that internet speed has seen improvements with the Philippines’ global ranking in mobile internet speed as of January 2021 moving up to the 86th spot from being in the 111th spot in the same period of 2020, Gatchalian said this significant improvement “does not seem to reflect marked changes in actual services to customers.”

Data from Ookla Speedtest Global Index, on the other hand, showed that the country’s fixed internet or fixed broadband global ranking remained at 100th.

Gatchalian said internet service providers (ISP) remain slow in addressing customer complaints as it would often take weeks and, in worse cases, even months before they could receive any feedback or appropriate services from the technical crew.

The social media pages of PLDT and Globe Telecoms have been flooded with complaints since last year over the slow response from network service personnel for the much-needed technical repairs.

“Sobrang haba na ng pisi ng mga tao. Hanggang kailan pa tayo magdurusa sa problema ng internet connectivity?” Gatchalian said.

“Baka naman nabakunahan na tayong lahat kontra Covid-19 tapos hindi pa natatapos ang problemang ito. Hindi katulad ng singil sa kuryente na maaring installment, ang mga subscrbers ng telcos ay buo ang binabayad. Sana suklian naman nila ang mga tao ng karampatang serbisyo,” he said.