Globe told to suspend new SMS rates

The National Telecommunications Commission on Monday ordered Globe Telecom to suspend its new mobile phone SMS rates and restore its old buffet texting promotional prices, pending a public hearing to be conducted by the regulatory body. NTC told Globe to "hold in abeyance" its Unlimited Texting promo in response to a complaint by consumer group TxtPower that it was a veiled rate hike. "We expect Globe to act on this immediately since there was a representative from Globe in the NTC to receive the order," TxtPower spokesman and co-convenor Anthony Ian Cruz said in an interview with GMANews.TV. The NTC said it will convene the public hearing to allow the consumer group to air its opposition to the new rates, and for Globe to address the complaints. The order was signed by NTC commissioner Abraham Abesamis. Last February 1, Globe announced that the company's four-day Unlimitxt now costs P80, compared to the previous charge of P50 for five days of the old Unlimitxt. Txtpower said that despite Globe's pronouncements that the new promo only adds to consumers' choices, it is first and foremost, a price increase. The new promo also includes options for day time unlimited texting which stretches from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs P10, and nighttime unlimited texting which also costs P10 and covers 10 p.m. to 7:59 a.m. of the following day. The order was signed by NTC commissioner Abraham Abesamis. -GMANews.TV