Globe Telecom Inc. said Thursday its GOMO’s mobile number portability service will be available by Oct. 12 as it strongly denied any malice or intent to violate the law.
“Being transparent to our GOMO customers, we have sent out SMS advisories on the delay of MNP service readiness to keep our customers fully informed,” Globe said in a statement.
Globe said that during the MNP launch, TCI, the joint venture company composed of Globe, Smart and Dito, did mention that birth pains were to be expected with the new service.
“This is especially true in our case because of our multiple brands that have multiple functionalities which are differentiated from our core brands,” said Globe.
Globe’s core brands, including Globe Prepaid, Postpaid, Platinum and TM, are providing MNP service.
Globe took exception to Smart’s complaint, saying that, “all issues and wins of the MNP service are being discussed at length at the management committee of TCI”.
“All service providers are aware of the challenges currently being experienced. It does seem this complaint is being done in bad faith on the part of Smart,” it said.
Globe said “GOMO would be able to provide its MNP service by Oct. 12”.
“We want to make sure that the service will be offered without posing additional problems or complications to our customer. So far, the company has not received a request from a GOMO customer wanting to avail of the MNP service,” it said.
“We are sincere in our intent to give our mobile customers the ability to choose their favorite provider and we are doing our best to comply. We are also grateful to our customers for choosing Globe over other providers,” Globe said.
Meanwhile, Smart asked Globe to remedy and resolve the serious and persistent concerns affecting Globe customers wanting to port in or transfer to Smart but were unable to do so seamlessly and without fault or difficulty, because of Globe’s system-readiness issues and general unpreparedness to implement the MNP Law.
“Globe’s constructive denial of its customers’ choice to switch to Smart seamlessly without the hassle of changing their mobile number, which seemingly stem from system errors and the apparent general unpreparedness of Globe sales force to implement the MNP Law, ultimately compromise, if not maim the spirit of the law, which is to honor and protect the customers’ choice of their preferred network,” said Atty. Kenneth Regañon, Smart regulatory affairs’ manager in a letter to the National Telecommunication Commssion.
“Given all the serious shortcomings in the first 72 hours, carried over and magnified in the first week of implementation of the MNP Law with no committed timelines for permanent fixes, the pressing issues are beyond just ‘hiccups’,” Regañon said.
He said that as of Oct. 5, Smart logged a 38-percent rejection rate by Globe due to “technical issues”.
“The ‘data fix’ is not generating the results Smart needs to complete the porting in of Globe customers to Smart. We demand a firm commitment on timelines so we can handle appropriately and cascade with our store frontliners accordingly,” said Regañon.
