GLOBE DENIES ANTI-SPAM MEASURE CAUSING POOR SERVICE IN ZAMBOANGA
WE write to provide clarity on your story titled “Zamboanga Globe users complain of poor service” by Al Jacinto, published in The Manila Times on Nov. 10, 2022.
The story claims that Globe customers in Zamboanga have been complaining of difficulties in sending SMS, linking the alleged problem to our security measure blocking all person-to-person text messages with clickable links. The article further alleged that some prepaid users have been forced to make calls instead of using SMS, supposedly incurring additional costs.
We wish to inform your readers on the value of our recent anti-spam initiative to disallow messages with clickable links, as well as our recent infrastructure enhancements in the Zamboanga peninsula.
The reporter, Mr. Jacinto, paints a picture of poor Globe service in the Zamboanga area. If the reporter has indeed encountered Globe customers who are having difficulties in using our mobile services, we wish to address these immediately for the benefit of our customers. In which case we would be happy to get the details of these customers so we can attend to them immediately.
To further improve service experience, we have built additional sites in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte this year as part of our continuing efforts toward having a #1stWorldNetwork.
The new cell sites have led to improved service in the area, with our customers in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga City reporting better experiences within the same period, based on our user data. Globe has also been expanding 5G coverage in Mindanao, with a total of 252 5G-ready cell sites built there in the first half of the year.
In addition, Globe and our partners are set to bring improved fiber connectivity to Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur early next year, with scheduled landings of the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network, the country’s longest domestic subsea cable system. This is expected to bring a more stable and reliable connectivity in support of economic revival post-pandemic.
With regard to our recent anti-spam initiative, for which Mr. Jacinto wrote: “This problem started when Globe Telecom temporarily blocked all text messages from prepaid and postpaid numbers containing URLs or website links following widespread complaints from subscribers receiving spam and scam messages from unknown numbers that had their complete names.”
We find this statement to have no basis since the security provision of preventing incoming spam-induced messages (especially messages with clickable links) has no relation to a customer’s ability to send/receive legitimate messages and make calls.
Having said this, we find this “manner of reporting” to be malicious, as it attempts to put in bad light our security measure that only aims to spare customers from receiving unnecessary messages and protect them from fraud.
Our Security Operations Office, which works 24/7 against these unwanted messages and other types of fraud, has not received any report that our measure has impacted the delivery of valid SMS.
We’d like to emphasize that our SMS-blocking measure filtering out all person-to-person messages with clickable links has been effective. In September, the month of implementation, we logged an all-time high monthly total of 270.5 million messages blocked. To date, about 1.3 billion blocked SMS from January to September have exceeded the 2021 full-year total due to our aggressive security measures this year.
Our lines are always open if you have any questions or clarification on matters concerning our services. We will greatly appreciate having our side heard.
We request that our clarification be published in full in your newspaper and online news site.
Yoly Crisanto Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Globe Group Globe Telecom Inc. The Globe Tower 32nd Street corner 7th Avenue Bonifacio Global City Taguig City, Philippines +632.7972000 www.globe.com.ph