Globe, Smart, Sun asked to charge only P0.80 per text message to other networks

Businessman and whistle-blower Jose de Venecia III on Thursday asked the court to stop the three major telecommunication companies from charging more than 80 centavos per inter-network text message.

 

In a complaint filed before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court, De Venecia cited Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications Inc., and Digital Telecommunication Phils. Inc. (Digitel) as respondents.

 

He also included the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as respondent to the civil suit, saying it must resolve the legal issues raised by the telcos.

 

“Wittingly or unwittingly, the failure or neglect by the respondent NTC to decide on the matter unduly and unconscionably favors the private respondents, who reportedly handle among themselves a volume of 1.5 to 1.8 billion SMS a day, to the extreme damage and prejudice of the petitioner,” de Venecia said in his petition.

 

Last year, the commission issued Memorandum Circular Order 02-10-2011 directing the telcos to charge no more than P0.15 per inter-network or interconnected short messaging service.

 

Globe, Smart and Sun–Digitel’s mobile brand–charge 35 centavos per inter-network text message.

 

Subsequently, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba sent a letter to the three telcos requesting them to reduce by P0.20 the P1 inter-connection charge for text messages

 

According to de Venecia, the new rate should have taken effect on November 30, 2011, but the telcos failed and refused to reduce their rate per interconnected SMS.

 

NTC, then, ordered the telcos to explain why they did not reduce their respective interconnection SMS charges.

 

De Venecia also prayed for NTC to order the private respondents to pay the damages he sustained due to the illegal collection of more than P0.80 per interconnected SMS since Dec. 1, 2011, estimated at no less than P2,000 a month, and for P100,000 in exemplary damages.

 

He was the one who made public the alleged irregularities surrounding the $329-million national broadband network deal between the Philippine government and China’s ZTE Corp. —With Rouchelle Dinglasan/VS, GMA News