Globe asks NTC to intercede over ‘predatory pricing’

Filipino mobile operator Globe Telecom has asked the regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), to put an end to the ‘All Day Texting 258 Call+Text’ promotion currently being offered by Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT’s) mobile units Smart Communications and Pilipino Telephone Corp (Piltel). Globe senior vice president Rodolfo Salalima said of the plans: ‘In implementing these promotional offerings only between the two, [Smart and Piltel] are acting in concert to corner the market and thus create a virtual monopoly.’ Smart and Piltel subscribers who sign up for the promo will be entitled to an unlimited number of text messages and a single five-minute call in a 24-hour period for a fee of PHP20 (USD0.37).