More than half of households in Dasmarinas Village have no decent mobile coverage due to continued resistance of some homeowners preventing the rollout of decent telco services in the area.
This is based on a coverage map recently released by Globe Telecom. The map also indicated that without the use of the company’s outdoor distributed antenna system or ODAS network within the upscale subdivision, only about 44% are able to get good mobile signal.
According to Globe, residents in Dasmarinas who oppose the use of ODAS are violating the rights of other residents. In June 2016, the UN Human Rights council declared that internet access is now a basic human right.
“These people who oppose ODAS in Dasmarinas should be considerate of other residents’ need for connectivity and reliable mobile services within their villages and allow telecommunication operators like Globe to improve mobile services with the installation of additional equipment and infrastructure such as ODAS, cell sites and fiber optic cables,” Globe said.
In the case of Dasmarinas, Globe has already acquired approval from the Dasmarinas Village Association, Inc. (DVAI) to use ODAS technology within the village in 2012. The installation of ODAS was a response to the complaint of most of DVAI’s members of poor telecommunication signal inside the subdivision. In compliance with existing laws, Globe obtained all necessary requirements and permits to support the construction, installation and operation of ODAS within the village. In April this year, Globe again obtained the consent to renew the operation of its ODAS network for a five-year period.
However, some residents, that include Ms. Betty Aw, continue to oppose the use of Globe Telecom’s ODAS network within Dasmarinas despite approval of the village homeowners’ group, citing alleged health issues. For getting in the way of establishing telco infrastructure in Dasmarinas, Globe filed a civil suit against Ms. Aw, claiming moral damages amounting to P5 million, exemplary damages of 500,000 plus attorneys’ fees. “Globe can prove that the absence of ODAS in Dasmarinas contribute to slow internet and poor mobile experience of our customers in the village. However, it would be very difficult for Ms. Aw to prove that cell sites cause adverse health effects on humans because all health experts and the scientific community whether local or international have already agreed that the available data is non-conclusive,” Globe said.
Several years ago, Globe unveiled the use of ODAS technology, which enable stronger mobile phone signal for its customers. The next best alternative to towering cell sites, the ODAS solution is state of the art technology that makes use of a specialized lamp posts built with radio signal transmission capability, enhancing mobile services for its customers in strategic areas. The system deepens mobile coverage by bringing radio signal closer to end-users. Globe is the first telco service provider in the country to use the ODAS solution. ODAS solution also supports all frequency bands used by wireless carriers, including the LTE technology, providing stronger support for mobile data services.