The NTC has made amendments to the MC03-03-2005 which regulates contents/information providers to initiate the “opting-in” of subscribers to services through push messages. It’s been the focus of a lot of issues and disputes on vanishing prepaid loads.
Normally, content providers (CP) will randomly blast free ringtones or ringback tones for free (usually to promote a popular movie or event, like a concert). However, in order to get the free ringtone, one must subscribe to the weekly service. The succeeding tones are then charged to the subscriber.
This practice is now disallowed after the NTC made the following amendments:
- Push messages shall not be allowed. Subscriptions or requests for contents and/or information shall be initiated by the subscribers.
- Commercial and promotional advertisements, surveys and other broadcast messages shall be allowed only if prior consent from the subscribers is secured.
- All subscriptions for the delivery of contents and/or information made prior to the effectivity of this Circular shall continue to be honored until the expiration of the subscription. Subscribers with valid subscriptions prior to the effectivity of this Circular may opt to terminate the subscription prior to expiration. Contents and/or information service providers and CMTS providers shall inform their respective subscribers of their option to pre-terminate their existing subscriptions.
One source who’s into the CP business tells me this amendment could kill as much as 90% of the revenues generated by the industry. The telcos are closely cooperating with the NTC to monitor the Content Providers’ activity on “push messages” and I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of lobbying happening right now.
Globe found another way to eat up our load!
Did some of you notice that lately, most (not all) of the text messages you are receiving are duplicated?
On the other hand, when you try to send an SMS, the first attempt will give you a Failed error message then on the second attempt, the message will be sent.
I tested it and I got charged for two messages though the first attempt was not successful. the test message that I sent only says “This is a test.”. The test message was received twice by the recipient.
Haynakerrrrr Globe talaga.. para-paraan grrrrrrrrr
[...] These and several other guidelines have been passed as the United States CAN-SPAM Act, but the closest thing implemented in the Philippines applies only to text messages. [...]
Yuga, how much are the telcos paying you to post this? “Recent NTC Memo could kill CP Business” – give me a break.
Text credit is not a product that spoils or is finite like food, water, or electricity and is purely electronic. It can be generated out of thin air. The telcos are already earning a lot of money by imposing an expiration date on these text credits and in effect forcing the users to load frequently. So tell me, why would the recent NTC Memo kill 90% of their business?
Obvious talaga kapag binayaran ang author ng isang article.