• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Telecommunication companies operating in Bacolod have been reminded to ensure uninterrupted internet and telecommunication services, amid the daily rotational brownouts experienced across the highly-urbanized city.
Bacolod Councilor Dindo Ramos, who authored the ordinance that requires internet and telecommunication service providers to have back-up power supply to ensure uninterrupted service even during outages, noted that when a power interruption occurred, the signal and internet services also suffered.
He said there is a need to determine compliance with the provisions of the ordinance passed in January this year, which requires internet service providers and telecommunication companies to have generator sets or backup power systems, to ensure regular and steady connectivity.
Continuous and reliable internet and telecommunications services are important for residents, businesses, and government agencies, especially during prolonged power interruptions, the ordinance states.
“The frequent power interruptions in Bacolod due, among others, to insufficient energy generation, underscore the need for reliable and adequate energy supply, and make the timely implementation of the ordinance particularly necessary and appropriate,” Ramos said in a resolution approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod recently.
He called on the City Legal Office and City Engineer’s Office to implement the ordinance and furnish the SP with monthly inspection reports and compliance certificates of internet service providers (ISPs) and telecommunications companies.
The reports will provide the SP with an updated record of the compliance status of these ISPs and telecom firms and will enable the city government to identify instances of non-compliance and take appropriate action, Ramos added.
Per the ordinance, a noncompliant ISP or telecom company shall be fined P5,000 for each non-compliant cell site and written warning; P5,000 for each non-compliant cell site and suspension of the mayor’s permit until compliance is achieved, for second offense; and P5,000 for each non-compliant cell site and revocation of the mayor’s permit, for third offense. | CGC
