NTC ordered to explore ‘free text’ drive with telcos
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:04:00 05/29/2008
Filed Under: Telecommunications Services
MANILA, Philippines -- Invoking public interest, the Department of Transportation and Communications has ordered the National Telecommunications Commission to talk to mobile phone operators on how to ease the price of mobile communications -- particularly text messaging.
“Since it is NTC’s mandate to regulate the telecommunications industry, it has been tasked to lead efforts to lower communication costs for consumers. This is especially important for consumers now that the prices of commodities are increasing due to oil price hikes,” DOTC spokesperson Thompson Lantion said in a telephone interview.
Lantion said Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza has ordered NTC Commissioner Ruel Canobas to report on his department’s progress starting this week.
Telecommunication companies were earlier taken aback by reports that lawmakers were looking into their franchise to see if they were actually authorized to charge for text messaging.
In a statement, Smart Communications Inc. said that telcos were authorized to charge for text messaging and argued that rates in the Philippines were already among the lowest in the world.
Philippine mobile phone operators, including Smart, are offering their own unlimited text messaging packages in sachet packs as low as P25.
“These packages are not free, but these are -- as we say in Pilipino ‘abot kaya para sa maraming Pilipino (affordable for many Filipinos),’” said Smart spokesman Ramon R. Isberto.
Other mobile operators, Globe Telecoms Inc. and Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc., expressed similar views.
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