Major telcos extend 50¢/text promo

MANILA, Philippines - Texters can now further enjoy the 50-centavos-per-text to other networks promo after the National Telecommunications Communication's (NTC) approved requests to extend the duration of the promo. According to the NTC, the three leading telecommunication companies - Smart Telecommunications, Globe Telecom Inc. and Sun Cellular - had sent them a letter requesting for an extension even before the promo expired last Oct. 22. "(It’s) a very competitive market so you really have to come up with innovations, pricing mechanisms, that are acceptable to the public," said Edgardo Cabarrios, director of the NTC for Common Carriers Authorization, in an interview by GMA reporter Claire Delfin aired on 24 Oras. To recall, President Arroyo made the pronouncement that telcos would reduce their texting rates by half during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July. For its part, Globe requested the NTC if they could extend their promo until Dec. 15 2008. Smart, on the other hand, requested to extend their promo until Feb. 15, 2009. Sun Cellular, meanwhile, did not indicate for how long they plan to extend the slashed cost of texting. In a statement, Sun Cellular official said that they wanted to further extend the promo since "we have received a very warm reception from our subscribers." Smart said the move was consistent with the initiatives of the government to lease the plight of Filipinos during this period of rising prices. This is a way for us to show or express support to the issues initiated by the government to help our countrymen," said Mon Isberto, spokesperson of Smart. The NTC added that consultations are on going to lower the inter-connection charges in order to permanently bring down not just texting prices but phone call charges as well. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV