Per-pulse billing must be implemented immediately for the benefit of consumers. Telcos are dragging their feet perhaps to keep the unfair per-minute billing through the highly lucrative Christmas and New Year holiday season.

It is obvious that Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular have not complied with NTC Memorandum Circular 05-07-2009 which requires them to implement per-pulse billing on intra-network calls last Dec. 6 and on inter-network calls last Dec. 6.

As of today, per-pulse billing is only optional for subscribers of Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular. The two companies require subscribers to use prefixes to avail of the per-pulse billing. Up until today, the default remains per-minute billing – a clear violation of the NTC order.

Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular all pretend to be surprised and would later claim that “technical difficulties” prevent them from immediately implementing per-pulse billing as default. That is simply not true. They knew about the Dec. 6 and 16 implementation dates as late as July 23 when the NTC signed the circular. From July up December, they had enough time to make the necessary changes in their billing systems.

We ask the NTC to itself follow Republic Act 7925 which empowers the commission to determine rates by telcos. The NTC must act as a regulator and not allow itself to be used like a doormat by the abusive telcos. It should penalize the telcos for flagrantly violating its circular.

We also ask Congress to exercise its oversight functions on the telecommunications industry and on the franchise laws Batas Pambansa 95 (Globe), Republic Act 7294 (Smart), and Republic Act 7678 (Sun Cellular) which all provide that NTC approval is required for the rates of services offered by the telcos. Congress should consider suspending these franchises.

We will reiterate these calls and unveil a consumer plan to lower mobile call rates on Monday during the Senate hearing called by Senate President Enrile and Senator Roxas.

(Reference: Tonyo Cruz, TXTPower president)