THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 3, 2012 – The war for wireless digital supremacy heated up over the first weekend of September, as Globe subscribers throughout the metro reported service disruption. Coming so soon after Globe Telecom announced its forthcoming 4G LTE services for broadband and mobile, rumors quickly spread that the disruptions were caused by their ongoing US $700 million infrastructure upgrading efforts.
“The recent challenges have nothing to do with our new network,” Ernest L. Cu, president and CEO of Globe Telecom, reassured the public in a statement released on September 3. “It only serves to highlight why we need new infrastructure to service this market.”
Customer convenience was also foremost for Smart’s Executive Vice President and Head of Wireless Consumer Division Noel Lorenzana. In an exclusive statement to adobo Magazine, when asked if their competitor’s technical difficulties affected Smart’s corporate strategy, Lorenzana said, “Nothing changes…Smart has always focused on delivering the quality of service that people deserve and are looking for.”
At the time of this writing, the battleground for Philippine mobile subscribers’ hearts and minds had shifted to social networks, with one network’s Facebook page proudly proclaiming their LTE service lets users “Live online at its fastest”, while the other declared, “We’re upgrading our network to empower millions”, along with Wall posts and corresponding Tweets apologizing for the “system issue encountered last weekend”, promising rebates for those affected. While we sit on the cellular sidelines to see what happens next, one thing is certain: regardless of who wins the next round, local telecom consumers will be ready and waiting to reap the benefits.
