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| (Image Source: Philippine Cable And Telecommunications Association) |
The Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association Inc. (PCTA) and its members continue to support the national government's efforts in improving communications and connectivity services for the public. The pandemic increased the need for stable internet access for social, economic and educational needs and over 150 internet services providers (ISPs) which are among PCTA's members are at the forefront to help the communities they serve transition to the new normal.
Cotabato Cable Television Network Corporation, for instance, has put in a lot of work to deliver high quality service and bring the world to homes of their subscribers in Cotabato City. It has earned the trust of government offices and eventually became Cotabato City LGU's official internet services provider. Cotabato Cable empowers its community of 3,200 households by providing convenient subscription plans and cable TV-internet bundle packages with speeds of up to 12 Mbps for those who have shifted to the Fiber To The Home (FTTH) system. At the peak of the pandemic, they have ensured they lay out a good signal and cable programs that would entertain the elders and help employees working from home and students attending online classes. It also gave the Department of Education (DepEd) free cablecasting of modules every Monday to Friday.
On the other hand, Bongao Cable TV Network Inc. has been providing internet service to the Salug Valley Province since 2016. Since the start of the pandemic, Bongao Cable extended their services and upgraded their system, availing a higher bandwidth that can cater to the needs of its subscribers. They help schools and learning communities set-up their online learning by providing higher bandwidth and reasonable packages. They also support the local government units, specially the Mayor's office, to integrate and offer their services online that extends aid to the people of the municipality. With their constant efforts in providing internet services even in the farthest parts of Zamboanga Del Sur, subscribers no longer need to relocate as they can confidently work from inside the safe comfort of their homes. Bongao Cable TV Network Inc. offers internet plans with speeds of up to 20 Mbps using FTTH technology. Bongao Cable continuously looks for more ways to upgrade their system to serve their ever-growing number of subscribers without increasing the basic rate for cable television or, at the same time, not compromising the quality of their service. In addition, it exercises leniency in the collection of monthly payments understanding the challenges of these unprecedented times.
“Providing adequate bandwidth allocation and ensuring that internet service and signals are accessible to our communities are among PCTA’s priorities to support more Filipinos during unprecedented times. We doubled our efforts to improve internet services even in underserved areas,” said PCTA President Joel Dabao. He added, “As our nation moves forward to recovery, PCTA and its member operators will continue to serve reliable internet connectivity that will empower Filipinos especially in far-flung areas to accelerate and thrive in the digital transformation era." For more information on PCTA and its members, visit www.pcta.org.ph.
