BTC teams up with Globe Telecom for the Illegal Signal Booster Busting at Marawi City

The Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission (BTC) headed by Commissioner Muhammad Ameen M. Abbas with the guidance of Minister Dickson P. Hermoso of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Globe Telecom, and the assistance of the 103rd Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Lanao Del Sur Police Provincial Office (LDSPPO), organized a 3-day frequency scanning and inspection at Marawi City from February 9-11, 2021.The operation commenced right after the courtesy with the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a Memorandum Order No. 01-02-2013 that prohibits the sale, purchase, importation, possession, or use of cellular mobile repeaters and portable cell sites operating on 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands. While prohibited since 2013, these illegal repeaters are very common in online shopping websites/apps and in physical electronics and communications stores all over the country, which is a direct violation of the existing memorandum.

The BTC has been receiving numerous messages through their Facebook Account about the use of illegal boosters or repeaters in the province of Lanao and how it affects their daily lives. In these trying times, where connectivity is an essential part of every Filipino household, these illegal repeaters negate the efforts of Telcos and the Commission to improve their mobile and internet experiences.

The prevalent use of illegal repeaters can bring the entire signal of a community, a barangay, or even the whole town or city down. These illegal repeaters interfere with network signals that the neighborhood or the community will experience weak signals, slow connections, dropped calls, and poor voice call quality. These are un-calibrated thus, not suitable for local mobile conditions. More importantly, these unauthorized devices put to risk the lives of other people in the community who need assistance in matters of life and death situations.