Category: data cap

NTC hearings on Minimum Broadband Speeds looks promising

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Since November of 2014, the National Telecommunications Commission has been holding pubic hearings about the issue on Minimum Broadband Speeds. Recent updates about the results of the series of hearings have yielded promising results.

In a summary update by @ceso, there are a number of regulations and adjustments in the manner by which ISPs will market and service their subscribers.

Here are the more plausible outcome of the hearings:

  • Possible removal of the “Up to X Mbps” in the subscription plan. It will be replaced by an indicated average data rate per area.
  • Service downtimes will not be billed. Computation for rebates will be automatic and does not need to be reported by subscribers.
  • Data caps or Fair Use Policy will be limited to just 80% of maximum possible limit. Example: For a 1Mbps, the maximum limit is 128KB/s x 60 secs/minute x 60 mins/hour x 24 hours x 30 days = 331GB. Data cap shall be no less than 80% of 331GB or 265GB.
  • NTC will regularly conduct independent tests of internet speeds on several areas to check for consistency and reliability then report it to the public/subscribers.

Perhaps the biggest and most critical of all these will be the data caps. ISPs have started phasing out their unlimited services and replacing them with volume-based subscription.

Customers who still have their old subscription plans that indicated unlimited data will be the ones who will benefit the most (so remember to not change that plan to anything new they will offer or else the “unlimited” service will also be removed or replaced with a data volume).

The post NTC hearings on Minimum Broadband Speeds looks promising appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

NTC hearings on Minimum Broadband Speeds looks promising

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Since November of 2014, the National Telecommunications Commission has been holding pubic hearings about the issue on Minimum Broadband Speeds. Recent updates about the results of the series of hearings have yielded promising results.

In a summary update by @ceso, there are a number of regulations and adjustments in the manner by which ISPs will market and service their subscribers.

Here are the more plausible outcome of the hearings:

  • Possible removal of the “Up to X Mbps” in the subscription plan. It will be replaced by an indicated average data rate per area.
  • Service downtimes will not be billed. Computation for rebates will be automatic and does not need to be reported by subscribers.
  • Data caps or Fair Use Policy will be limited to just 80% of maximum possible limit. Example: For a 1Mbps, the maximum limit is 128KB/s x 60 secs/minute x 60 mins/hour x 24 hours x 30 days = 331GB. Data cap shall be no less than 80% of 331GB or 265GB.
  • NTC will regularly conduct independent tests of internet speeds on several areas to check for consistency and reliability then report it to the public/subscribers.

Perhaps the biggest and most critical of all these will be the data caps. ISPs have started phasing out their unlimited services and replacing them with volume-based subscription.

Customers who still have their old subscription plans that indicated unlimited data will be the ones who will benefit the most (so remember to not change that plan to anything new they will offer or else the “unlimited” service will also be removed or replaced with a data volume).

The post NTC hearings on Minimum Broadband Speeds looks promising appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

DOJ warns data capping, throttling, false unli of telcos

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

The Department of Justice has released a second advisory yesterday warning telcos about deceiving consumers on their supposed unlimited internet services.

In a 9-page Advisory dated 09 December 2014, the DOJ expounds that the imposition of fair usage policy on unlimited internet service is inconsistent with the provisions of the Consumer Act, particularly on fair packaging as well as misleading trade practice and advertisements.

Assistant Secretary Geronimo L. Sy, head of the DOJ-Office for Competition (OFC), said that “unlimited data is like unlimited rice or buffet concept – restaurants cannot offer an ‘eat all you can’ promo and when a customer eats more than the average person, to actually stop him or not to honor the commitment.” The Advisory thereby calls on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to monitor and penalize non-compliant telcos.

The DOJ, through the Office for Competition (OFC), issued said Advisory in the fulfillment of its mandate to protect consumers from unfair business practices and to advance consumer welfare.

The applicable law that of concern here is RA7394.

Republic Act No. 7394, series of 1992, known as the Consumer Act of the Phihppines (“Consumer Act”), advances the “protection against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices” as well as promotes the “provision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper exercise of rights by the consumer.”

Article 50 considers an act or practice deceptive “whenever the producer, manufacturer, supplier or seller, through concealment, false representation of fraudulent manipulation, induces a consumer to enter into a sales or lease transaction of any consumer product or service.”

The US Government has also pursued cases against carriers in the United States regarding their promise on unlimited internet.

The copy of the advisory was posted on the DOJ website here.

The post DOJ warns data capping, throttling, false unli of telcos appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

DOJ warns data capping, throttling, false unli of telcos

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

The Department of Justice has released a second advisory yesterday warning telcos about deceiving consumers on their supposed unlimited internet services.

In a 9-page Advisory dated 09 December 2014, the DOJ expounds that the imposition of fair usage policy on unlimited internet service is inconsistent with the provisions of the Consumer Act, particularly on fair packaging as well as misleading trade practice and advertisements.

Assistant Secretary Geronimo L. Sy, head of the DOJ-Office for Competition (OFC), said that “unlimited data is like unlimited rice or buffet concept – restaurants cannot offer an ‘eat all you can’ promo and when a customer eats more than the average person, to actually stop him or not to honor the commitment.” The Advisory thereby calls on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to monitor and penalize non-compliant telcos.

The DOJ, through the Office for Competition (OFC), issued said Advisory in the fulfillment of its mandate to protect consumers from unfair business practices and to advance consumer welfare.

The applicable law that of concern here is RA7394.

Republic Act No. 7394, series of 1992, known as the Consumer Act of the Phihppines (“Consumer Act”), advances the “protection against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices” as well as promotes the “provision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper exercise of rights by the consumer.”

Article 50 considers an act or practice deceptive “whenever the producer, manufacturer, supplier or seller, through concealment, false representation of fraudulent manipulation, induces a consumer to enter into a sales or lease transaction of any consumer product or service.”

The US Government has also pursued cases against carriers in the United States regarding their promise on unlimited internet.

The copy of the advisory was posted on the DOJ website here.

The post DOJ warns data capping, throttling, false unli of telcos appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Switching to Smart, not minding the FUP and Data Cap

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Last week, Globe has actively enforced their FUP and monthly data caps. Both my Globe postpaid accounts have been hit (despite not getting the SMS notifications, yeah sucks). In desperation, I urgently applied for a Smart postpaid line as an alternate account.

I applied for the UnliData Plan 1500 and while I am already aware that it comes with a Fair Usage Policy of 1.5GB per month, I was assured by my friends using the same plan that they have not been capped for months now.

So I signed the waiver that I would agree to the FUP stating a 1.5GB monthly data cap and then 24Kbps of speed afterwards.

Yes, Smart also has an FUP and data cap but it’s not just being enforced. Question is, will they follow what Globe did or continue to remain un-enforced and enjoy the avalanche of switchers like me?

The post Switching to Smart, not minding the FUP and Data Cap appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.