Colmenares urges NTC to compel ISPs to provide internet speeds as advertised

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares has urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to order internet service providers (ISPs) to provide internet speeds based on their advertising claims.

Colmenares also asked the commission to investigate ISPs for poor service provision and order them to return part of their income to consumers.

“We are also urging the NTC to investigate the ISPs and order the respondents to give an across-the-board refund/rebate to all their consumers, in an amount to be determined as fair and equitable,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“(NTC should) Order respondents to provide internet speed at their maximum advertised speed at least 90% of the time during the period of subscription,” he added.

According to the former lawmaker who is seeking a Senate seat in the upcoming elections, NTC should also fine the big networks for their actions.

“Order payment of fines, in an amount which is commensurate to the damage and prejudice to the consumers; refer the case to the Philippine Competition Commission for determination of anti-competitive behavior and abuse of market by Globe and PLDT and other ISPs,” Colmenares said.

“We have long been suffering from one of the slowest internet speeds in the world, and so we hope that the NTC would act on this immediately,” he added.

Slow internet speeds or even lack of connectivity are among the complaints of most Filipinos. Netizens have long urged ISPs to improve the service.

In 2016, Colmenares filed a complaint before the NTC against the big telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and PLDT. However, NTC has yet to release a decision about the complaint.

He asked the NTC to expedite their decision to stop ISPs from allegedly taking advantage of consumers.

“The internet service providers are raking-in super profits while blatantly shortchanging the consumers by not giving them what they actually paid for. We, the consumers are not getting their money’s worth, and this has to be acted upon now,” Colmenares said.

“Our Petition is to demand better internet service from big internet service providers (ISPs) who only rake in the profits but shortchanging the people. This is a demand for the enforcement of the State policy that rates should be fair, just and reasonable (Section 4(g), RA No. 7925), and that consumers should be protected from trade malpractices, (Section 9, Article XVI, 1987 Constitution) market abuse and anti-competitive behavior (Section 2, RA No. 10667),” he added. /ee