Business World Online | January 14, 2011 | Aura Marie P. Dagcutan
BROADBAND SERVICE providers have said that setting minimum speed on broadband access will contradict rules of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) which deregulated value-added services.
In separate position papers submitted to the regulator, the telcos said broadband access “forms part of the value-added services.”
“Requiring the providers of such service specify their minimum connection speed, service reliability, service level and service rates would amount to regulating the same,” said the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) in its position paper uploaded in the NTC Web site on Friday.
“In keeping with broadband access services’ true character as value-added service, we respectfully submit that broadband service providers be allowed to retain present setup where no minimum service standard is required,” the group said.
PCTO groups Bayan Telecommunications Corp., Capital Wireless, Inc., Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc., Eastern Telecommunications Co., Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., Innove Communications, Inc., Philcom Corp., Philippine Association of Private Telecom Companies, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp., Pilipino Telephone Corp., Smart Communications, Inc. and Telecommunications Technologies of the Philippines.
Further explaining its position, Globe Telecom, in a separate position paper, said broadband connections that are offered “mass-based” such as unlimited services are considered “best efforts.”
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