Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Sun Cellular were ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to explain why they failed to lower the rate for short messaging service (SMS) to 80 centavos from P1 per text.
Glem Ecal of the NTC Public Information Office on Friday told GMA News Online that they have yet to verify if the networks already received the order, which was released on Dec. 12.
The telcos have 15 days to reply once they have received the NTC order.
[See also NTC to sue telcos for violating order to lower sms rates]
Globe maintained earlier this week that it has complied with the NTC order to reduce the SMS access charge, but a source told GMA News Online on Friday that its legal department declined to comment on the show-cause order "because it's sub judice."
Smart, Globe, and Sun informed the NTC last November that they will heed the commission's order earlier this year for the telcos to reduce the access or interconnection charge to P0.15 from P0.35.
The access charge is — among other components — part and parcel of the SMS rate, according to Globe.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Delilah Deles said last month "the new SMS access charge will take effect on their respective networks" on Nov. 30.
NTC's One-Stop Public Assistance Center said in an affidavit that they have received complaints from December 5 to 9 that the telcos were still charging P1 per text message.
After those complaints, a series of tests by the the NTC using prepaid mobile numbers from the three telcos established that the text message rates remain at P1 per SMS. — Bea Cupin/ Rose-An Dioquino/VS/HS, GMA News
source:gmanetwork.com
