Law on telecoms 'outdated'

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said its rules and regulations have to be amended to provide full power to regulate telecommunication providers in the country.

In a press conference in Davao City, NTC 11 regional director Nelson Ca¤ete said the current rules and regulations under the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines of the 1987 Philippine Constitution are already 'out-of-date' saying that they are no longer sustainable with the current situation of the country's telecommunications.

"NTC has always been receiving complaints from consumers against these telecommunication providers, but because of the law governing we cannot do anything else than just to relay the complaints to them," he said.

Most of the complaints delivered by NTC to the telecommunication providers are unsolved such as delayed cellular loads, costs, mobile data speed and cell site coverage.

Cañete said the regional office is challenging its central office to look into the possibility of initiating the amendment of rules and regulations, especially on a possible government revenue collection from telecommunication providers and intensify enforcement against the consumers' issues.

A Senate move, headed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, sought to amend the telecommunications law stating that it is already inadequate to address the concerns against the industry.

However, Ca¤ñete said it did not push through due to the senator's recent reputation in the Senate.

"There is also no re-submission of the bill recently. I do not know why this matter seems irrelevant to the Senate," he said.

Cañete said NTC hopes that the current administration will look into the proposal to amend the telecommunications law considering it as the only solution to end the repeating complains against the telecommunication providers.

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