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Group wants new phone pricing disclosed


A consumer group on Thursday asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to inform the public of mobile phone companies’ new pricing schemes. “We ask that the NTC conduct public consultations before approving a promo because telecommunications is a public utility. The NTC must provide the public an opportunity to look at the proposals coming from the telcos," said TXTPower spokesman Anthony Ian Cruz. The phone firms must the NTC of their new promotional offerings or those that are extended. Cruz urged the NTC to inform the public before deciding on companies’ applications for new pricing schemes. He said TXTPower was not made aware that Globe Telecom plans to modify rates for text-messaging service next month. “Off hand, any plan with an end effect of raising rates is questionable. We, the consumer group, are against any move that will effectively raise prices," Cruz said. Starting February 1, Globe prepaid subscribers can avail of a P25 whole-day rate of unlimited text within the network and a discounted fee of P0.75 for each message sent to other networks; A P15 day-time unlimited texting from 8 a.m. to 4:59 p.m.; and night-time unlimited texting from 10 pm to 7:59 am for P10 per day. Globe will also offer all-day unlimited text for P20, with P0.90 for messages outside the Globe network. The new pricing scheme will provide Globe’s Unlimitxt service, which gives users the option to send unlimited intra-network text messages for P15 for one day, P25 for two days and P50 for five days. “The NTC has not invited us to any public consultation. We are not aware of Globe’s plan to revise their unlimited SMS service," Cruz said. He added that TXTPower has a pending complaint before the NTC asking it to order Smart Communications Inc. and Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) not to set an expiry date for free text messages on all electronic load and regular top-up transactions. The expiration of free text messages now coincide with that of the airtime load. For example, a P200-load, which includes 40 free text messages, should be consumed in 30 days or the free text will expire. Prepaid subscribers with a P300 load should also use up the 33 free text messages win 60 days. The cellular firm has also imposed a 60-day expiry of the free text messages of P500 and P1,000 load credits. The P300 load carries 83 free text while the P1,000 load package has 250 free text. “Why do Smart and Pitel need to cut off value from their services to subscribers? Instead of rewarding their customers, why begin cutting off value. They owe it to their subscribers," said Cruz. Smart and Piltel registered 22.9 million subscribers as of end-September last year about of which 95 percent subscribed to prepaid service. Globe had 14.5 million cellular subscribers, of course 13.8 million subscribe to prepaid service. -GMANews.TV

Tags: txt, txpower, NTC
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