Telecoms have been asked to provide solutions after poor reception was identified as the No. 1 source of consumer complaints that the National Communications Commission (NCC) received in the first quarter this year.
From January to March, the commission received 1,234 complaints related to telecom service, down from 1,281 during the same quarter last year, NCC statistics show.
However, 771 of the complaints in the first quarter were related to reception of telecom services, with 64.59 percent being about poor reception that users experienced at home or at work.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, changes in telecom service contracts and subscriber service were identified as the second and third-biggest sources of complaints, accounting for 11 percent and 8 percent respectively, the NCC said.
The three telecoms that received the most complaints were Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Star and Taiwan Mobile, with 32.41 percent, 19.53 percent and 18.48 percent of the complaints.
Consumers who complained about poor indoor reception often asked telecoms to reduce their monthly service fees or improve the reception immediately, the commission said, adding that some demanded that their service contracts be terminated.
The commission offered two possible explanations for poor indoor reception.
“Transmission of electromagnetic waves could be hindered by buildings or topography, depending on where base stations were installed,” it said.
Another reason might be that a telecom removed a base station after residents in the area complained about it, but failed to find a different location nearby to reinstall it, it said.
“We have asked telecoms to conduct tests at locations where a majority of complaints took place and offer solutions accordingly,” the NCC said. “If consumers complain about poor reception, telecoms are advised to give consumers a rebate or allow them to terminate service contracts early while they find ways to address the problem, such as quickly installing a new base station.”
Telecoms should inform consumers that they have a seven-day free trial period for any telecom service they plan to subscribe to, the commission said.
Telecoms are obligated to disclose their service coverage areas to consumers, it said, adding that such information should be available in their retail stores and on their Web sites.
Telecoms must also disclose exactly what their service entails based on the “Telecommunication Service Quality Items and Formats,” which was published on April 8 last year, the NCC said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS