Bill of Rights of Telco Users under RA 7925 of 1994

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

October 19, 2015

Bill of Rights of Telecom Users:

This is under Section 20 of RA 7925

Stop the Cap - What the canadian consumers did to stop the rip off from telcos

ARTICLE VII. RIGHTS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS USERS

 Sec. 20 Rights of End Users. - The user of telecommunications service shall have the following basic rights:

 a) Entitlement of utility service which is non-discriminatory reliable and conforming with minimum standards set by the Commission;

 b) Right to be given the first single-line telephone connection or the first party-line connection within two (2) months of application for service, against deposit, or within three (3) months after targeted commencement of service in the barangay concerned per the original schedule of service expansion approved by the Commission, whichever deadline comes later;

 c) Regular, timely and accurate billing, courteous and efficient service at utility business offices and by utility company personnel; and

 d) Thorough and prompt investigation of, and action upon complaints. The utility shall endeavor to allow complaints to be received over the telephone and shall keep a record of all written or phoned-in complaints. 

Fellow netizens, we might have been jaded all ready by abuses of telcos and ISPs Know your rights under the Public Telecommunications Act.   Telcos are required to send  timely and accurate billing. Although some telcos say that even without of bill, this Section says that practice is contrary to law.  And maybe we can complain if we are billed for services unrendered.

Why cant NTC, the IT regulator in the country, compel telcos which it regulate solve the slow internet in the PHL?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

From Manila Bulletin

October 19, 2015

                                  Eh bakit minimum ng NTC 256 kbps eh dapat sila nagpromote para maaccess Pinoy sa lahat ng makabagong technology

Sen Chiz Escudero urged the NTC to start cracking the whip so that the telco, especially the giant one in order to solve the very slow and expensive internet in the Philippines.  The giant has refused to connect to the PHOpenX established by DOST. It has currently 33 members which include Globe, Eastern Telecom, Bayantel, Com Clark

Its data is currently routed to Hong Kong  Internet Exchange (HKIX) through a privately owned Vitro Internet Exchange. (VIX) According to the good senator, a telco that does that holds our country as a hostage.   An a regulatory body that cant enforce its mandate is inept.!

Why cant NTC force the issue?

1.  It is toothless?

2.  Does it not have legal mandate?

3.  Does it lack leadership?

NTC it is time to be pro people and do your job.  This is a govt of men.

4. Do the leaders care for the consumers/netizens?  Is NTC aware of its duty to do so?

IRR of NTC do not address the current problems of internet - its speed and charges etc.

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

This post tried to analyze the IRR as to whether they address the current issues of telecom:   internet and CP scams, cyber crimes, peering, fees and charges by telcos, penalties for telcos on bad service, violation of rules of NTC, and other laws

The IRR seen by this post concerned:

Interconnection of authorized Public Telecommunications Exchanges

IRR of RA 10515 protecting CATV from illegal wire tapping

IRR of RA 7925 which governs Carriers, Exchanges and CP companies/operators

From slideshare - Draft of anti cybercrime law

The laws does not govern mobile services and internet.  So the telcos and ISPs can do as they please because no laws govern their action.  So NTC is helpless vs scammers, telcos refusing to following peering, or there are no provisions for the charges and penalties being asked by telcos, and even penalties for erring telcos.  What we know is the rule of a very old law of which penalizes PU for only P200.00 per day.  (about $4.00 per day)  Peanuts.

For NTC, it can clearly regulate:

1.  radio rf and operations

2.  Telephone exchanges and  CATV,

How about ISPs and internet exchanges?

Cybercrime - (DOJ yata ang bahala?)

For false internet speed claims -  DTI daw? Ano walang pake ang NTC

Akala ko sila may mandate para asikasuhin ang bagong technology sa ICT according to Section 15 of RA 7925

NTC and the slow internet speed; how does it level up?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

October 15, 2015

Mandate for NTC - make technologies accessible and affordable for Filipinos

NTC at Govt offices Directory

NTC Manual of Regulations - a hodge podge of Department Circulars from NTC and DOTC and Republic Acts.  Their manual should be regularized, hence at is we do not have clear procedures and directions or which are current and attuned to the current needs of the ICT in the Philippines which is progressing at quite accelerated speed

Laws governing telecom

A. TELECOMS

Republic Acts

Republic Act No. 7925

Republic Act No. 3846

Republic Act No. 6849

Rappler - NTC to start probing/testing internet speed

The NTC recently signed Circular 07 - 08 - 2015 last August 13 which set the lower limit for internet speed at 256 kb to be considered a broadband provider.  Penalty is set at  reprimand for first offense and P200.00 per day for the second offense.  If the telcos or ISP has variance in the speed as advertised vs actual, the consumer can go to DTI to file complain for truth in advertising (bakit sa DTI, hindi ba NTC regulator ng Telcos at ISP)  The penalty is based on 1936 law Public Service Act of 1936.

This news is uninspiring because 256 kbps is hardly classified as internet experience.  It like the dial up service of 1990.  According to Director Cabarios if we raise this beyond 256 kbps, there will be internet investors in the country.  The standard for foreign carriers is 4 mbps.

No wonder, we cant have better and faster internet service with this kind of mindset of regulators.   And we have a pre war regulations...But NTC is mandated to give great technology to customers/citizens right and live up to the times

Govt needs P800 billion for the next 10 years to bring internet up to speed - NTC

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

October 18, 2015

From Manila Times

The government needs at least P800 billion for cap ex to level up telco infrastructure according to NTC Director Edgardo Cabarios.  The private sector cant be left alone to do the investment

Criticisms are all ready being levelled vs this article? Is NTC/DOTC going to compete with TELCOS? It has shown to be a poor businessman.  Look at the operation of MRT/LRT

1. Is this not going to be a repeat of the ZTE scandal?

2.  Why not let the giant dominant telcos handle this?

    1. Is this not part of their mandate in their franchise to do the cap ex and upgrade their facilities?

    2.  Their FS are open books being public companies.  Do they not earn enough to make the investment?

3.  There are other ways to have the private sector handle this:

    1. Encourage more competition.  Invite other telcos to come in.  We started with Telstra.  How about AT &T?  Bell system?  Break up the giant telco which managed to reverse the Ramos initiative of breaking up PLDT

    2.  PPP initiative

    3.  As for the IX, PHL or the telcos can outsource the same to companies that have the facilities and expertise to handle worldwide internet traffic like PACNET.

    4.  Tax holidays, perks for more cap ex... The govt does not have to spend a cent

                                           Dumarami na talaga, kaya bumabagal ang internet?

                                      May peering ba dito if PLDT and Globe cant connect directly?

4.  NTC must focus on its work as a regulator to enforce compliance by telcos no matter how dominant it is:

     1.  Peering

    2.  Checking internet fees;

     3.  Telco and ISP practices:

           1.  Fees

               Right now I object to the monthly fees that are paid in full without deducting outages due to any other problems,   No SOAs and arbitrary disconnect.  Exorbitant reconnection fees.

           2.  Plan caps

           3.  Throttling

           4.  Whitelisting for internet speed

           5. Monitoring internet scams and punishing the scammers.  There are many at internet and CPs

White listing data throttling/management by ISP and telcos?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress
October 18, 2015

Can telcos white list speed test site, and effectively block consumers from finding out the true connection speed? Or give a higher reading as advertised, and whitelist the true speed, when connecting to other sites?

Using speed test on sites with ad blocker

From Geekzone forum - ISP can cache data and whitelist speed test

Are ISPs manipulating data traffic?

Is this finding of white listing of internet connection during testing similar to the emission test defeat scandal of VW?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines, October 17, 2015

There was this video at You Tube which investigated the internet speed connected to the speed test, and the speed being being monitored when not connected to the testing site. (There was another measurement site - MLabs which monitored the ping and the speed) The testing site reading gave a higher reading which was the advertised speed, but the actual usage showed a much slower speed.  The investigator/author of the video theorized that the telco was white listing the connection when being tested.  When the test site is the connection, the internet gives a correct speed, but when another URL is the site, the internet speed is the slower actual speed.

But what is new? Carriers/telcos are ignoring Speed test results. What, are helpless against telco
giants?

Exempting Ookla speed test by T Mobile We must have FCC or NTC doing independent test sites on line?

Data caps by T Mobile


 Is this not   similar to the VW scam/scandal discovered for emission testing, by an independent group of investigator. Because of this, VW is facing sanctions and the CEO of VW had to resign,  The VW stocks took a dive.  As a result, VW is also investigated for wrong doing in Europe.  How can this happen to a venerable brand like VW with over $400 billion of car sales annually?

  Mr John German who discovered the VW cars emission scandal of ICCT International Council of Clean Transportation (what a paradox, a man named German discovering a German origin scandal. The cars tested initially passed the emission tests.  He found as in this case that the test of German cars in actual usage,  were 20x the limit.  They did more test, and their hypothesis is that  there must have been an emission test defeat software, or language in the computer box or emission hardware. software.

What the NTC, the government regulators should do about the telcos and the slow internet speed?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Rizal Philippines
October 17, 2015

Since internet is not a life or death situation, and we get by with it, it does not seem to be a concern of many.  However, we all ready can compile a list of things that escape the regulators.

Why do we have regulators?  We can not just depend of Adam Smith laissez faire theory that the invisible hands work for the best interest of every one.  They would work for the only interest nearest to them - their pockets and bank accounts.  This happened to a dominant telco then,  under the old owner, and we could say the same for the new owners who have been raking in billions. (what is the limit of the self interest)  Some unusual practices that defy regulators must be all ready tbe investigated fined, punished and strictly regulated.

1. Slow internet speed;

2.  Expensive charges

3.  Refusal to peering talks

4.  Talk about whitelisting of actual internet speed vs speed test.

Is the good young senator, who still have to hone his execution skills and courage to go vs the giants up to the task?

Some years have passed and nothing seem to have been accomplished with his investigation of this internet anomaly

Nagkakalokohan ba talaga between speed test and actual usage of internet of a dominant telco.? Is this akin to the VW emission defeat scandal of VW?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Rizal Philippines
October 17, 2015

This video content must be investigated if indeed the carrier's speed when connected to their test site or speed test gives a high result as per their plan, but gives a different reading when disconnected to the speed test site.  Is this not   similar to the VW scam/scandal discovered for emission testing, by an independent group of investigator.

  Mr John German who discovered the VW cars emission scandal of ICCT International Council of Clean Transportation (what a paradox, a man named German discovering a German origin scandal. The cars tested initially passed the emission tests.  He found as in this case that the test of German cars in actual usage,  were 20x the limit.  They did more test, and their hypothesis is that  there must have been an emission test defeat software, or language in the computer box or emission hardware. software.

Here is an except of the article:

                                        John German

Sen Bam Aquinos slideshare on internet speed in the Philippines

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

We post here the Slideshare of Sen Bam Aquino on internet speed in the Philippines:

Towards Faster and More Affordable Internet Connection from Ofc. of Sen. Bam Aquino

Slow internet speed slows down the country's progress

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Household with slow internet speed
Philippines, October 12, 2015

                                                                    Mahal!

Inquirer Opinion by Gideon Lasco

Slow internet speed costs a bundle in slowing the country's economic progress. In UK it is costing $11B a year.!

 Internet in the PHL is not only slow, but is also expensive.   It takes ages to view You Tube video, upload pictures at FB, or blog.  What more, our internet is expensive.   Even if you pay more, it is still slow.

MyRepublic, a Singapore company, offers 1 gbps speeds for the equivalent of only S$50 (around P1,600/month). In comparison, for a monthly fee of P1,899, PLDT offers published speeds of “up to 8 mbps”—and that comes with a 50 GB cap. Isn’t it ironic? Despite the higher standard of living in Singapore, its residents enjoy much cheaper—and faster—Internet.

Fast is available in the PHL but at a whopping price:  P20,000 for 200 mbps. (But wait, Globe offers in a promo 200 mbps for only P5,000.!!!?

It’s not that fast Internet isn’t available in the Philippines. PLDT offers faster connections—but at a much higher price: a 200 mbps plan costs a whopping P20,000/month. Who are able to avail themselves of this but the ultrarich? Mediocre Internet speed is a problem that disproportionately affects the poor and the middle class.

* * *

Internet should be considered as basic human right. 

What is the cause of human rights violation in the PHL?

We become repetitious -  lack of competition and monopoly. (money poly)

Unfortunately, because of the oligopoly that has a stranglehold over our telecommunications systems, this is not an option for the Philippines. The fact that Sun Cellular was acquired in 2011 by PLDT, the same company that owns Smart, has all but doomed our chances of meaningful competition in the near future.

Thus, the only way is for us to call upon our government to address this very public concern.

What to do next?

Our demand is simple: Make Internet in the Philippines as fast, accessible, reliable and affordable as in other Asean countries.

Students doing their assignments shouldn’t have to wait for hours just to download a PDF file. Overseas Filipino workers shouldn’t have to deal with pixelated faces of their loved ones when their colleagues from other countries can easily see theirs in high definition. Businesses and bloggers alike shouldn’t have to be outclassed by others just because their connections are lagging behind. And most importantly, the poor shouldn’t have to endure a slow Internet while the rich can afford to have faster ones: The baseline should be good enough.

There is no excuse for slow and unreliable Internet when telcos make billions of pesos in annual revenues. The government must recognize the Internet as a public good and take strong action based on this premise if we are to be lifted from this pathetic state.

Gideon Lasco is a physician and medical anthropologist. Visit his website on health, culture and society at www.gideonlasco.com.

Philippines a country of contrast - slowest internet speed yet, selfie capital, social media capital and sms capital

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Yes we can.

Maski mabagal ang internet, maraming na achieve ang pinoy

Nagsi unlad at bilyon bilyon kinita ng telco.  Kaya lang pinarurusahan tayo ng mabagal at mahal na internet.

Di kaya puwede tayong bigyan ng reward:

1. Pabilisin ang intenet;

2 Gawing mura

Dapat lang... Tit for tat. Scratch your back, scratch mine.

Telcotroll primer on slow internet speed in the Philippines

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines, Household with slow internet speed
October 10, 2015

Primer by Telcotroll on slow internet speed

The site has simplified the complex situation on why internet is slow and expensive in the Philippines. (This post has explained this elsewhere in this site but Telcotroll has done a good job of explaining.

1.  The best practice if for the State to run a neutral IX so that the dominant telco would not bully the ISP or other telcos

2. It is best to have transit to a third party (to outsource) for internet traffic through a real backbone like PACNET which has massive investment in submarine cables and other communication facilities.  This is similar to BPO.  If others can do it better, why have your own facilities

3.  Peering. Local traffic can be accessed directly by local exchanges without paying revenues (true peering) and the rest of traffic which has international  content can be through the backbone. 70 to 80% of the traffic has intl content, 20 to 30% can be peered locally

4. Open competition. consumer protection act and anti trust law.

As it is this is what is happening in the country:

1.  PLDT, the dominant telco thinks it is the back bone. It has openly stated that it does not want a unified IX (although lately it has peered with one port.  All other Telcos and ISP connect to the PHOpen IX.   PLDT before did not connect.

2. Instead data is routed to HK Internet Exchange via the privately owned Vitro Internet Exchange (VIX) of PLDT. Thus  you we experience a data hops.   All our local chats and email still goes to HK and this makes data transfer:   slower because the data reroute is via HK (vs direct) and hefty premium has to be paid as transit fee to PLDT.

3. NTC which is supposed to enforce telco regulations in the PHL is helpless to compel to regulate PLDT to operate in the best interest of the public?  Nasa batas na ipagtanggol ng NTC ang consumer at labanan and monopolyong pamamamalakad ng telco. NTC is not exercising this mandate - afraid or it is not aware?

So what is next?  We just pray and hope that PLDT give its profit objectives (massive at that) and be a good citizen.  As of now, MAGTIIS TAYO IROG.?

We may support the next Congress:

1.  Legislate stricter consumer protection act;  ( eh may Bill of Rights and consumer sa RA 7925 baka execution na lang ang kailangan

2.  Anti trust law (just like what US did to ATT ).   NTC should not have allowed PLDT SMART and Sun cellular and VIX be under one roof or have limitations in control of telecom business (so even buying GMA should be a no no were it not for these abuses in the name of more money) Nasa mandate ng NTC not to have allowed that to happen.  May insubordination or negligence ba ang NTC not to have followed its mandate?)

Globe and PLDT on Peering Talks, Globe wants unconditional peering

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Rizal Philippines
October 10, 2015

Globe desires unconditional peering - From GMA news

The PLDT Globe DOST peering issue

Globe has prodded PLDT for peering talks for the last 5 years, and only this year has PLDT agreed. It had limited peering with DOST under the PHOpenIX.  However Globe notes that the peering being envisioned by PLDT limits access of the customers to data and other content

“The proposal does not go far enough even to meet the definition of peering,” said Globe Chief Operating Officer Gil Genio. “As is, PLDT’s proposed peering agreement won’t be effective in improving the country’s internet speed as it doesn’t allow Globe customers to directly access content and applications hosted by the PLDT group without exception.”

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/540113/scitech/technology/globe-to-pldt-nothing-less-than-unconditional-peering-is-acceptable#sthash.fWNgoaOq.dpuf

Is slow internet speed in the Philippines caused by abuse of netizens?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines, October 10, 2015

                                     This telco is offering faster and cheaper service,  P33,00. mbps, True?

Happy double ten to Chinese Taiwan.

In the recent celebrity bluff, it was bluffed that the reason for the slow internet speed is caused by abuse of certain netizens.  Most of us netizens spend a great deal of time work

ing using computers to get information, do telecon, watch movies videos.  Is that abuse?  It is normal use

  Is this correct?  Do you agree?

 We are only talking of 30% usage by Filipinos.  What happens if the usage goes up to 50% or even 70%.  Surely all businesses especially those in this business must find technological breakthrough (which they have found all ready elsewhere) to give pleasant customer experience.

One Telco is moving towards the direction which the blog aspires for. Let us support their move.

Surely the monopolistic actions will collapse under the weight of its own complacency.  As in OPEC, its monopoly over oil prices collapsed.  There will always be superior technology, and people/customers perceive you to be too greedy and inconsiderate

In the marketplace of the free, it is unthinkable that a dominant telco would like to have it all. And make peering arrangement very difficult to achieve.

Go go go Globe.

.

Facebook to provide free internet service to parts of Africa via AMOS 6 satellite

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines October 7, 2015

Facebook to provide free internet service in Africa by 2016

Facebook satellite will provide free internet access across Africa

CEO of Facebook Billionaire recently announced that it will launch AMOS-6 satellite by 2016 to provide free internet service in areas of Africa.  (Most probably it will be free only for Facebook sites)

Earlier they experimented providing internet service via drones.

Telstra, Australia's biggest telco in talk with SMC to provide wireless telecom service in the PHL

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

SMC -Telstra, Australia's biggest telco in JV talks to provide 4G service in the Philippines

Telstra SMC to provide 4G LTE service in the PHL



Philippines, October 7, 2015

More competition means better service and lower costs?

Telstra, biggest telecom company in Australia, disclosed to the Australian Stock Exchange August 28, 2015 that it is in talks with SMC, the Philippines biggest conglomerate for a joint venture to provide wireless 4G service in the Philippines.

It just bought out its Qatar based partner in Liberty Telecom to gain 51% control  with a P5.75 cash payment ($123.15 million).  SMC disclosed this to the Philippine Stock Exchange. The partner, Vega Telecom had 35.7% stake in Liberty Telecom (which operates Wi Tribe)

Vega bought out Extelcom, the first mobile phone operator in the Philippines.   It was established by the Ongpin

Some think this is a risky move for Telstra.  SMC venture in Liberty Telecom is not so successful

SMC subsidiary, Liberty Telecom, offering Wi Tribe did not succeed.  The 4G LTE 700 hz is not yet supported by most smartphones.

Will this JV augur changing telco rules?   Will the duopoly now wake up from their adamance if not complacency?

Link to Facebook Page

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

You can follow this site also at Facebook

Faster Internet in the Phil Page at FaceBook

Let us campaign for faster and cheaper internet in the Philippin es

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Hi Leaders Engr. Cezar and VP Belle:

Thanks for getting in touch.  As we were saying in the Leadership class, as espoused by Leader Cezar, we would campaign for faster internet speed.

I have put up a site to focus on this.  It would  seem though that people do not mind.  When there was a campaign to support Sen Bam Aquinos inquiry, only 1,300 supported.  Not a soul attended his inquiry.

Faster internet speed

I have made 9 posts and very few are following or ar reading this site.

There are several developments in this area.  One solution is to have peering deal between telcos in the PHL say between Globe and PLDT.  Under the peering arrangement, the local traffic can be directed between the local exchanges, without cost on either parties thus lessening costs, and faster access.  As of now, the traffic between two Telcos have to go through an international node at HK thus, increasing cost and increasing access time.

Battle for control of internet

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Rizal Philippines
October 5, 2015

Peering pressure for the control of the future of the internet

Despite revenue free peering arrangement in the past, shifts in traffic has forced content providers and the telcos and exchanges to renegotiate peering contracts

It is a question of who shoulders the costs for increased traffic (as those caused by You Tube and Netflix) and so the last mile people would like to have bigger share of the pie. Is the reign of the Free over?

Globe urged PLDT in 2014 to support peering

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines  October 5 2015

From Rappler - Globe urges PLDT to peer in neutral IX

Globe probably taunting or challenging PLDT says that PLDT can only show its support to peering by engaging a neutral IX.  However Mon Isberto has again a mouthful in defense of status quo. That was in 2014.  Perhaps because of mounting public pressure, and that PLDT is looking more of a villain.

The real reason behind objection to peering is there is no revenue, nor sharing.

We are glad that PLDT has relented and has peered with DOST and and is in serious talk with Globe.

However the public must be vigilant and campaign hard by tweets and FB for PLDT to speed up peering talks with other ISPs.

The main reason why internet is expensive and slow is we through a central transit point which is PLDT. It is very possible that local traffic can be peered so  that the local traffic does not have to go through international exchanges (the PLDT node that goes to HK) Imagine local traffic still going abroad. Even if the speed is milliseconds there well be delay.

Shall we campaign for peering?

Clarifying Internet Peering

Faster internet for progress
October 5, 2015

    Thus we can see that peering involves no $PHP fees.  Only these are charged at transit provider. So we can imagine one of the parties is G and the other is P.  However, all traffic now flows through the transit provider which in this case is P.  Thus fees are always paid when there is an interchange of traffic and slower

There is a lot of  talk on peering for internet. Here is a link that will help us clarify our terms and understanding of internet peering

Definition of Internet Peering

Globe, PLDT on Internet Peering Protocol talks

Faster and internet access to more people increases access to opportunities by all

From inquirer press reader
October 5, 2015

                                         Traffic mabagal, internet mabagal progress mabagal pati ba PLDT? Or simply does not care. It just wants to get bigger and more profitable?

EVP of PLDT and CEO of ePLDT  Ernesto Alberto announced that PLDT and Globe are on talks re Internet Peer Protocol that will help make internet access faster.  Earlier, PLDT agreed with govt DOST to provide fiber optic link to  Phil Open Internet Exchange or PHopenIX

PLDT has also added another rack for DOST at ePLDT's vitro center for third access to PHopenIX.  The arrangement says this arrangement gives faster access to govt websites that is why PLDT is in talk with Globe.

Earlier, PLDT was adamant in this peering talks.  But we can read between the lines, that it is going to be hard battle to have PLDT give up its dominance.

Earlier PLDT in 2014 rejected the proposal from Globe and even draft proposal form NTC to have ISP Peering.  We thought FVR destroyed the PLDT monopoly when it allowed other Telcos to come in....Medyo yabang at monopoly giant stance..

From BWorld - PLDT and Globe on peering talks

Peering Exchanges