Texters welcome Senate probe on telecom cartel
Solons should review RA 7925 which deregulated market, says group

AFTER a successful one-day boycott, the texters group TXTPOWER today welcomed a Senate inquiry into the controversial free text cuts by telecom giants Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT which was put on hold by a temporary restraining order issued by a local court order on Friday.

“The Senate will do the public some good by probing the two monopoly companies and taking the needed legislative action in the interest of seven million cellphone users,” said TXTPOWER Spokesperson Anthony Ian Cruz who also appeared before a public hearing on Aug. 30 at the House of Representatives.

“Consumers demand government protection from such cartels and the bad, anti-consumer practices like the reduction in free text,” said Cruz. “Legislation may be needed to tilt the balance in favor of consumers who are being preyed upon by the telecom cartel.”

Cruz pointed out that “Republic Act 7925, specifically Section 11, has authorized Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT to one-sidedly determine their rates and to announce the cuts in free text allocations for all their subscribers.”

“The Senate should review this deregulation policy as it has become a license to cheat consumers,” said Cruz.

He added that the Senate should also press the National Telecommunications Commission to use whatever powers it may have to resolve the mounting consumer complaints over weak signals, delayed text delivery, dropped calls and others peeves of cellphone users.

TXTPOWER is a broad network of mobile phone users who are up in arms over the reduction in free text messages, bad services and cartel operations of Globe and Smart. It is demanding swift government measures on the “unbridled monopoly operations of the two firms that are against the interest of millions of mobile phone users” including a halt to the planned cutbacks on free text.