MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 30, 2012) – San Juan Congressman Joseph Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito Estrada lauded the National Telecommunications Commission for penalizing telecommunications companies that overcharged their subscribers.
The NTC issued an order to the telecommunication companies to refund subscribers 1 20-centavo cut in SMS rates supposed to have been implemented since December 1, 2011. It also ordered the firms to devise a plan on how to refund its subscribers.
The lawmaker said the NTC, headed by Director Edgardo Cabarios, deserves a commendation for performing its function of monitoring the inadequacy of the big telecommunication companies in the country.
He urged the companies to comply with the order and to immediately refund their subscribers.
The NTC said the companies are currently charging P1 per SMS message when they should have been collecting only P0.80 per text message.
The refund order stems from the NTC’s Memorandum Circular No. 02-10-2011 issued in October 2011 lowering the interconnection charges to P0.15 per SMS from the original P0.35. This, in turn, should bring down the regular cost of text messages to P0.80 apiece from P1.
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