Globe says recent service outage caused by damages to underground cables

Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. has attributed the recent mobile and broadband service disruptions in select areas in Metro Manila and Luzon to damages to underground fiber optic cables during draining excavation works by a subcontractor of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

According to Globe, core lines critical to its service delivery were affected by the damage to the cables in Paco, Manila causing customers to experience intermittent connectivity with calls, text messaging, and internet on Tuesday afternoon.

“Initial findings indicate that in one affected area in Paco, Manila, underground fiber optic cables were damaged during drainage excavation works conducted by a DPWH subcontractor,” it said in a statement.

Services were normalized at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, following the completion of restoration efforts by the company’s technical and network teams.

“Our fiber was cut, in I think three or four areas within a span of 30 minutes each,” Globe president and chief executive officer Carl Raymon Cruz said in a separate virtual briefing.

“We’re closely looking at this incident and we hope to learn from it so that our customers on the network will not suffer from the same kind of incident as we move forward,” he added.

Moving forward, Globe said it will work more closely with the DPWH, lcal government units, and contractors to better protect its underground cables, improve monitoring of fiber lines, and respond faster to service disruptions.

“It is very unfortunate this disruption happened which could have been prevented had there been prior coordination with some agencies,” Globe vice president Joel Agustin said.

“Our teams worked continuously to resolve the issue and minimize disruption for our customers. We highly value the availability of our services and the trust our customers place in us, and incidents like this underscore the importance of strict adherence to established coordination and communication protocols by contractors prior to any excavation activities,” he added. —AOL, GMA News