NTC to go after users of mobile repeaters, portable cellsites

MANILA, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has banned the use of cellular mobile repeaters and portable cellsites that affect the signals of major telecommunications providers in the country.

NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba issued Memorandum Order 01-02-2013 laying down the guidelines on the prohibition of portable cellular mobile repeater and portable cellsite equipment.

The order prohibits the sale, purchase, importation, possession or use of cellular mobile repeaters and portable cellsites operating on 800 megahertz, 900 MHz 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands.

“Any person, natural or juridical, selling, purchasing, importing, possessing, or using GSM repeaters and portable cellsites, portable radio equipment or devices, shall be dealt with in accordance with the law,” Cordoba warned.

Portable cellsites and portable radio equipment or devices refer to radio equipment capable of sending messages to all subscribers within a radius of three kilometers to five kilometers providing an instant network in a “box solution.”

On the other hand, cellular mobile repeaters in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas and wireless adapters refer to devices that receive signal and regenerate the signals from one receiver to another.

Cordoba explained that the commission is mandated by Republic Act 7925, also known as the Public Telecommunications Policy Act, RA 3846 or the Radio Control Law, Executive Order 546, and Memorandum Circular 9-8-1991 to minimize if not prevent harmful interference to the cellular mobile networks.

He added that NTC is also mandated to maximize and promote the efficient use of radio frequency spectrum.

The NTC chief said only duly-licensed cellular mobile telephone system (CMTS) operators, the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC) and such government agencies performing functions vital to national security or safety are authorized to purchase, import, possess, and use cellular mobile repeaters and portable cellsites.

Last year, Globe Telecom Inc. reported to the NTC the increase in the number of interference cases due to the use of illegal signal repeaters in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Globe, a joint venture between conglomerate Ayala Corp. and Singapore Telecommunications, wrote the NTC to report that Globe’s Network Group noticed a significant increase in interference cases particularly in Makati City that affected over 80 cellsites. The PLDT Group completed its P67.1-billion network modernization program last year while Globe is scheduled to finish its $700-million network upgrade and transformation program in the first quarter of this year.