After local telcos' loss of network equipment surged 59 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2022, they banded together to form the National Telecommunications Security Council (NTSC).

PLDT, Inc. spearheaded the national industry-wide initiative to protect telecom infrastructure from thieves and saboteurs.

The council is composed of Corporate Security Professionals from local Telecommunication Companies (Telcos) and includes Globe Telecoms, Dito Telecommunity, Converge ICT Solutions to Sky Cable.

"We established the NTSC to share intelligence information and coordinate activities against thieves and other perpetrators," says Atty Oliver Carlos Odulio, head of PLDT’s Asset Protection and Security Risk Governance (APSRG).

So far, the APSRG's initiative led to a 422 pervent increase in apprehensions of thieves targeting telecom infrastructure within the first seven month period.

Alliance with other telcos likewise fostered sharing of best practices on how to keep fiber, cell sites and other network infrastructure physically safe, Odulio noted.

"It's part of our long-standing commitment to ensure continued connectivity and unhampered delivery of our fiber-to-the-home, LTE and 5G services to our customers," he added.

“PLDT is committed to work closely with local government units, local authorities and our colleagues in the industry to ensure the physical security of telco infrastructure and make sure that these illegal activities do not cause interruptions to our customers’ internet connections,” according to the APSRG head.

NTSC worked as one solid security group addressing loss of network equipment resulting to disruption in network connectivity.

Todate, loss incidents have decreased abruptly nationwide while the number of apprehended perpetrators increased sharply.

Notably, the NTSC was formed to act as a horizontal group complementing the long-standing Asset Protection Council (AP Council), of the MVP group of companies.

The council is composed of the different asset protection and security groups from businesses led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

These include lMeralco, Maynilad, NLEX Corporation, Philex, TV5, Metro Pacific Hospitals Holdings Inc. (MPHHI) and ePLDT.