Globe diggers accidentally disrupt PLDT service in QC

SUBSCRIBERS of the country’s largest telecommunications provider in some parts of Quezon City—both retail and enterprise—experienced service interruption on Friday, after its competitor hit its cables while digging underground.

In an advisory to its customers, PLDT Inc. said its customers experienced limited data and voice services in Quezon and Timog avenues in Quezon City due to Globe Telecom Inc.’s installation of its own fiber-optic network cables in the area.

“Our repair teams have been in the area since last night, but heavy rains prevented them from repairing the affected cables,” the advisory read.

The company said services should be restored on Saturday.

“We apologize for the inconvenience that this service disruption has brought our customers in the affected areas. We ask for your patience and understanding as we endeavor to restore services as soon as possible,” it said.

Globe Spokesman Yolanda C. Crisanto defended her company, calling the incident an “accident.”

“Such accidents do happen in the course of drilling and excavation works to embed terrestrial fiber cables in our public roads. It is inherent in our line of business and all telcos experience these hazards at any time,” she said.

Crisanto added that even projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) can cause fiber cuts.

“Fiber cuts could be caused by any telco contractor, or even the DPWH, which is why built-in redundancies in our respective networks are important,” she said.

Levinson, the contractor tapped by Globe, has deployed several teams to expedite the repair of the fiber cut.