NTC orders triple load life

A SPOKESPERSON for consumer advocacy group TXTPower yesterday welcomed the National Telecommunications’ order to triple the life of prepaid loads.

“This is something they should have done a long time ago,” said Leon Dulce, data visualization team head of the Computer Professionals’ Union.

“We hope the telcos will comply with the order and the NTC should see to it that this is enforced,” he added.

The CPU is a convenor of TXTPower. Dulce said it has recently conducted an online mobile users’ survey “to document cases and complaints regarding mobile use which will be later presented to the NTC,” The survey can be accessed at www.cp-union.com/mobileusers.

“Despite huge profits, mobile users continue to experience poor quality of service from telcos,” he said adding ``users are even robbed of their load.”

Half of the respondents of the survey complained about network access problem, lack of network coverage and expiring and disappearing load credits.

“These are clear indications that even with huge profits, telcos still fail to satisfy mobile users,” Dulce said.

“Expiring and disappearing loads without valid reason is the same as robbing users of their hard-earned money.”

Globe Telecom’s net profit in the first quarter of 2009 is up by 17percent to P4 billion from the previous year’s P3.4 billion. Sun Cellular, the mobile arm of Digitel, has projected its revenues to double this year. PLDT, of which Smart Communications is a subsidiary, also posted healthy profits with a core net income improvement of 9.39 percent to P10.22 billion from P9.34 billion.

“NTC should immediately address these issues. The Senate should also extend their full support to advocacy groups in helping consumers,” said Dulce. He added that CPU and TXTPower launched a consumer hotline today to document complaints. Online reports are available at http://www.cp-union.com/txtpowercenter.