Signal Boosters are Banned in the Philippines

Globe Telecom, one of the mobile phone operators in the Philippines, clarifies that the use of repeaters or signal boosters is illegal, as they may disrupt telecommunication services.

Globe Telecom Corporate Legal Services Group Head Froilan Castelo said under National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) Memorandum Order No. 01-02-2013, the sale, use and possession of signal boosters without the approval of the regulatory agency is prohibited.

The company has in fact signed agreements with several major retailers of gadgets and IT equipment to curb the sale of illegal repeaters or signal boosters.

Castelo said the IT vendors agreed to stop selling signal boosters that do not comply with NTC specifications and cause mobile network interference.

CD-R King General Merchandise, Electronics Boutique and Smile-Com also agreed to exclude any form of promotion such as listings, brochures, labels, flyers, advertisements and other printed or digital paraphernalia about mobile signal boosters.

“We appreciate the cooperation of the major retailers of gadgets and technology items in the country to support our drive against the use of illegal repeaters.   Many of the existing retailers have been previously unaware that the sale of such equipment violates existing laws,” said Castelo.

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

Globe launched the campaign against illegal repeaters or signal boosters in 2011, following increasing incidence of signal interference, as revealed by the company’s own network monitoring group. The incidences of signal interference have been reported regularly to the NTC.

Castelo also issued an appeal to Globe subscribers to report not only suspected cases of network interference due to illegal repeaters but specially retailers who continued to sell such equipment.

Globe said it continued to improve its network with the $700-million network modernization program.  It also urged the NTC to take a proactive stance against illegal telecommunications equipment entering the country and being sold to the unsuspecting public.