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GLOBE
Telecom Inc. said Monday text messaging and leased line
services should not be classified by the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as value-added
services, or VAS.
In
response to a draft circular by the Commission, the
cellular firm said short messaging service (SMS) and
leased line services are not VAS because they require
separate infrastructure to operate.
“Clearly, a VAS provider is prohibited from putting up
its own network or infrastructure, and is only allowed
to lease or rent telecommunications equipment and
facilities. In offering SMS and leased lines, these
operators shall have to put up its own infrastructure in
order to operate. There is no way for these so-called
VAS providers to operate SMS and leased lines, and not
to build their network, as these require separate
infrastructure,” said Globe head for regulatory affairs
Froilan Castelo.
The NTC
would like to classify the following as VAS: SMS, MMS
(multi-media service), UMS (unified messaging service),
audio and video conferencing, voice mail, electronic
mail, applications services (mobile banking, electronic
payments), audiotext, facsimile, VPN and PBX hosting.
Globe
said these services are already being provided for by
telcos in their ordinary course of business, and
therefore cannot be considered as service “not
ordinarily provided by a public telecommunications
entity.” |
