NTC given 10 days to oppose TRO plea on per-pulse billing
02/10/2010 | 06:04 PM
The Court of Appeals has given the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) 10 days to reply to one of several pleas by mobile networks to stop enforcing the per-pulse billing scheme.
"Within the 10-day period, [the NTC] is ordered to show cause why the preliminary injunction prayed for in this present petition should not be granted," the court, referring to Gokongwei-led Digitel Telecommunications Philippines, Inc.'s suit, said in a resolution.
"Action on the prayer for a temporary restraining order is held in abeyance pending receipt of [the NTC’s] comment," it added.
Last year, the regulator ordered local telecommunication firms to shift to the new charging system, where consumers are for every six seconds on a mobile voice call instead of the prevailing per-minute charge.
The new system will not make calls cheaper by the minute, but shorter calls will cost much less.
However, the NTC found that none of the mobile networks had complied with the order. The regulator later threatened to suspend the networks' authority to operate here.
All major networks separately asked the appellate court to stop the NTC for enforcing the new billing scheme, saying it was an illegal form of price-fixing. — NPA, GMANews.TV
"Within the 10-day period, [the NTC] is ordered to show cause why the preliminary injunction prayed for in this present petition should not be granted," the court, referring to Gokongwei-led Digitel Telecommunications Philippines, Inc.'s suit, said in a resolution.
"Action on the prayer for a temporary restraining order is held in abeyance pending receipt of [the NTC’s] comment," it added.
Last year, the regulator ordered local telecommunication firms to shift to the new charging system, where consumers are for every six seconds on a mobile voice call instead of the prevailing per-minute charge.
The new system will not make calls cheaper by the minute, but shorter calls will cost much less.
However, the NTC found that none of the mobile networks had complied with the order. The regulator later threatened to suspend the networks' authority to operate here.
All major networks separately asked the appellate court to stop the NTC for enforcing the new billing scheme, saying it was an illegal form of price-fixing. — NPA, GMANews.TV
