Firm warns vs ‘fake’ installers and modem collection modus

LEADING integrated telco network PLDT Inc. (PLDT) urges its customers to be vigilant against individuals allegedly pretending to be PLDT personnel following a spate of unauthorized modem collection incidents in Davao City.

Subscribers in the area have reported incidents wherein unidentified persons claiming to be PLDT personnel enter their homes and collect their PLDT Fibr modems, hampering repair and restoration services.

"We urge our customers to transact only with authorized PLDT personnel, especially inside their homes," said Atty Oliver Carlos Odulio, head of PLDT’s Asset Protection and Security Risk Governance (APSRG) office. "When in doubt, always check for proper identification. PLDT personnel will also never collect modems from customers without replacing them first," he added.

PLDT said that it is investigating the incidents and working on ensuring that these will not happen again.

As part of the Group's continuous initiatives to improve customer service and protect its physical assets, PLDT has also activated Hotline 164, where citizens nationwide can report similar incidents that often lead to service disruption, including unauthorized modem retrieval, cable theft and cable breakage. Persons who would like to report such incidents can do so by calling "164" on their landline or mobile phone, regardless of network.

"Our subscribers can also reach out to us by calling Hotline 164 to report incidents of illegal modem retrieval," Odulio said.

PLDT is also spearheading the National Telecommunications Security Council (NTSC), an industry-wide informal alliance for the mutual protection of telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. The NTSC is composed of corporate security professionals from the different telecommunications companies in the country.

PLDT and its wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), have been actively stepping up their asset protection efforts as part of a broader program to elevate the quality of their customer experience.

PLDT operates the country's most extensive fiber infrastructure. As of end-September, PLDT had expanded its total fiber footprint to about 1.09 million kilometers, consisting of over 231,000 kilometers of international fiber and almost 860,000 kilometers of domestic fiber. PLDT's fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services as of end-September had passed some 16.8 million homes and covered 17,000 barangays nationwide.

This fiber network also supports Smart's mobile network, which covers about 97% of the population with 3G, LTE, and 5G. PR