My Case vs Globe at the NTC (Part 1)

I have a current case filed against my Internet Service Provider (ISP) Globelines (a division of Globe) at the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). It’s regarding Internet Capping that Globelines imposed on my subscription without my knowledge.

The warning I got when I exceeded my daily cap, which Globe imposed on my account without informing me or providing the full disclosure.

Our Final Hearing is scheduled on May 26, 2016 but here’s the story so far. I became a Globelines subscriber in 2010 before Globe implemented their Fair Usage Policy (FUP) to new subscribers in 2011. My account is Unlimited Internet back then and is considered a Grandfathered account.

Sometime in 2014, Globe Loyalty called me and offered promos to my current subscription of P1,300 per month. The Globe representative never disclosed that they retire my Grandfathered account and I’ll be under the FUP, which is 7GB per month.

I only discovered in 2015 that my Internet subscription is now capped. I downloaded the Star Craft II game which I purchased from Blizzard and it took 3 days for me to download the game which was around 40 GB.

Since my Internet is now capped, if I exceed the daily quota of 7 GB a day, my Internet speed which normally is around 2.5-2.9 mbps on Speedtest.net will be reduced to 0.80 mbps or lower. It would normally be useless for me because I won’t be able to stream even a YouTube video with 0.80 mbps speed without buffering.

That’s when I called Globe and I was advised of my new account and the FUP. That’s when I filed a complaint at the NTC website. This was in September 2015. After a series of emails back and forth from Globe and NTC, the First Hearing was scheduled January 2016.

Globe started their Internet capping for accounts that were installed from November 11, 2011 up to March 11, 2015. This is my current capping now. Globe started a new Internet capping after March 2015 which is now on a monthly basis (like 50 GB/month). I was a subscriber of Globe since 2010 which technically predates their capping policy.

A representative of Globe attended the First Hearing and I demanded for proof that the disclosure about the FUP was discussed to me (via recording) when they offered to renew my contract (as a Loyalty Offer). Based on the NTC memorandum, ISPs can implement the FUP only if they fully notified their subscribers. I wasn’t.

The 2^nd Hearing was yesterday and Globe was a No Show. The NTC lawyer who facilitated the hearing scheduled the 3^rd and Final Hearing on May 26, 2016. With or without Globe’s representative, the NTC lawyer promised to deliver a verdict on that day.

If you have a similar complaint or scenario about your current wired Internet subscription, please share it in the comments below. Let’s not allow the Telcos to implement their agenda on us simply because they monopolized our Internet Service. Globe already started with a 7 GB/day quota on me, and as of today, they already further reduced it to 50 GB/month for new subscribers.

Our Internet usage these days demands more speed and GB due to Online Streaming (like iFlix, Netflix and HOOQ) and video conferencing (like Skype). Our Internet Service Providers should upgrade their system and facilities or allow more ISPs in the Philippines (like Telstra). Our current Internet speed is the slowest in Asia and very expensive. If we don’t complain now, we’ll suffer more in the years to come.

I am not against the Fair Usage Policy as long as it’s disclosed properly to the subscribers and as long as they deliver the speed they advertise and service is reliable.

Globe’s infographics on the Fair Usage Policy (FUP).Our Internet activities these days are no longer limited to updating FB status, posting Tweets or sending out emails. We’re now in an age where TV meets the Internet. We demand higher speed at an affordable price.

Technorati Tags: Internet Capping,Globe Telecom,Internet,#SlowInternetPH

#SlowInternetPH and Senator Bong-Bong Marcos

It’s good to know that the status of #SlowInternetPH was asked to the vice presidential candidates in last Sunday’s debate. Candidates were asked how to resolve the country’s poor internet speed status and #SlowInternetPH.

I find Senator Bong-Bong Marcos’ answer the most feasible – to let other foreign ISP into the Philippine market and to empower the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to act on customer’s complaints.

In a press statement Saturday, the senator noted that telecommunications has made all economies a part of the global marketplace.

“It was five or six years ago when the volume of commerce conducted on the internet surpassed the volume of commerce conducted face to face in stores, in malls and all of our more traditional ways of buying and selling. That is something that we must immediately recognize,” he  said.

Marcos said the Philippines ranks among countries with the slowest and most expensive Internet services in the world.

The global average broadband download speed is 23.3 Mbps (megabytes per second) which is nearly eight times faster than the Philippines’ average download speed of just 3.64 Mbps.

“How are we supposed to conduct business on this basis? You and I all know that when it comes to a point where there is no Wi-Fi, we don’t quite know what to do with ourselves because we have to keep that line of communication going,” Marcos said.

“It’s simply something that we have not paid attention to and it is something that is weakening the ability of our businessmen to conduct business in this global marketplace,” he added.

He said the technologies exist, the skills that are required exist, and it is just a question of taking on the policy and the concept that this is important and an essential service.

“It’s not a luxury, it’s not for fun because this is the way that business is conducted in this day and age,” Marcos said

Source: http://politics.com.ph/bongbong-wants-next-admin-to-prioritize-faster-internet/

Before, when the first infographics showing that the Philippines is 2nd to the lowest in Asia when it comes to Internet speed, it was Senator Bam Aquino who rallied and spearheaded the Senate Hearing about #SlowInternetPH but nothing happened. He’s now busy with the recent money laundering scandal.

Now, I have high hopes for Senator Bong-Bong Marcos that he can do something about the poor status of Internet speed in the country. In fact, I’m only asking two things from whoever wins the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections – solution to traffic in Metro Manila and solution to #SlowInternetPH.

It reminds me of my current complaint at the NTC versus my ISP Globelines over capping issues without my knowledge but that’s another story. My hearing is set next week and hopefully we’ll have a settlement that is acceptable to both parties.

Going back to the status of #SlowInternetPH, I hope that both the President and Vice-President, whoever wins, will focus on this. The Filipino people are losing money due to slow, unreliable and expensive internet cost. Take a look at some of these infographics.

The Philippines now has the slowest Internet speed in Asia at an average of 3.5 Mbps. My Globelines plan is at 3 Mbps at P1,300.00 a month.

The Philippines is at #14 (out of 20 Asian countries) when it comes to cellular data speed at 4.2 Mbps average.

Technorati Tags: #SlowInternetPH,Senator Bong-Bong Marcos,Senator Bam Aquino