Load credits validity finally extended
Posted on July 15th, 2009
Finally, the expiration of cell phone loads have been extended, as telecommunications companies have agreed to the request of the government to extend the validity of prepaid load credits, although they said they need time to carry out the changes, because it would entail changes in the company’s software.
Aside from the extension of load credits’ validity, Smart Communications, Globe Telecoms and Digitel Mobile have also agreed to comply with another National Telecommunications Commissions’ (NTC) order of stopping the sending of unsolicited text messages or promotional spam to subscribers. This will start on July 23, after that date, only subscribers who requested them will be sent such messages.
Ruel Canobas, NTC Commissioner, during the hearing of the Senate committee on trade and commerce and the committee on public services said the duration of pre-paid load for various amounts had been extended as follows:
-   For P1 – from one day to three days
-   More than P10 but not exceeding P50 – from five days to 15 days
-   More than P50 but not exceeding P100 – 30 days
-   Over P100 but not exceeding P150 – 45 days
-   More than P150 but not exceeding P250 – 60 days
-   More than P250 but not exceeding P300 – 75 days
-   More than P300 – 120 days
“The new duration is acceptable to the telecommunication companies, but they are asking for additional time,†Canobas said.
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is asking the Supreme Court (SC) to sanction judges who tied up telecommunications cases for years with temporary restraining orders. He would like to avoid the repetition of the case where an order from the NTC to regulate cell phone rates was not carried out for eight years because of TRO issued by a Quezon City court in response to an appeal from the telecoms company.
