NTC, telecom firms to discuss lower SMS rates

MANILA, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is set to meet with telecommunications companies on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the possible lowering of rates of short message service (SMS) and voice calls. In his report in GMA's 24 Oras, Jun Veneracion said the proposal was to reduce SMS rate from P1 per text message to P0.50 to P0.60 and voice call from P8 per call to P4 to P6.50. "We have a mandate to come up with affordable rates, and we also have a directive from the (Department of Transportation and Communication) to adapt measures to study the possibility of reducing communications cost," said NTC Deputy Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento. The television report said the reduction of SMS rates is also being pushed at the House of Representatives at the initiative of Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. Nograles had already asked the House committee on information and technology to study the feasibility of lowering SMS rates from P1 per message to P.25. Telecommunication companies, on the other hand, said they will study the proposal before coming up with a statement. "We will study the NTC proposal as soon as we get a copy, and we will defer comment at this time. We will welcome the opportunity to explain our position on the matter," Ramon Isberto, spokesman for Smart Telecommunications Inc., said. Sun Cellular, for its part, said they are willing to lower their rates provided that the proposed NTC rates would be reasonable. - GMANews.TV