Business World Online | January 12, 2011 | Aura Marie P Dagcutan
THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has junked a proposal setting a cap on Internet downloads after opposition from consumers.
Jaime M. Fortes, NTC deputy commissioner, said in a speech at an industry forum yesterday the agency has deleted the provision on a draft memorandum order setting minimum broadband speeds.
“We are doing public consultations to hear what our consumers want.
As it turned out, most of them want to remove that provision. We are pro-consumer,” he said.
“The memorandum order is primarily to make Internet service offerings more transparent to the consumer and to address Internet service reliability and speed,” he added.
There are 3.6 million broadband Internet subscribers in the country, according to the NTC.
Mr. Fortes said the NTC expects to issue the final copy of the memorandum order within three months.
“The NTC is still waiting for inputs from other parties and stakeholders and will be conducting regional consultations to give everyone concerned a chance to provide useful insights to improve Internet service,” the NTC official said.
The first of the regional consultations will be in Baguio. “Dates and venues of the proposed regional consultations on the draft will be announced soon,” he added.
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