NTC takes cellcos to task for failure to cut SMS rates

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in the Philippines has filed proceeding against the country’s three biggest mobile operators – Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Digitel Mobile (Sun Cellular) – over their failure to reduce SMS rates under an NTC directive. News service 24 Oras quotes NTC director Ed Cabarios as saying the commission will now decide what legal action to enforce against the three companies. ‘If a public telecom entity violates the terms and conditions of the authority, they can impose fine,’ he added. SMS rates were expected to go down from PHP1 (USD0.023) to PHP0.80 from 30 November 2011, but consumers have complained that the lower prices did not take effect.