BY DARWIN G. AMOJELAR SENIOR REPORTER

SMART Communications Inc. said it will implement per pulse charging on calls made to subscribers of other networks using a prefix code, snubbing the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) recent directive. Under the order issued by the regulator, the per-pulse charging scheme for mobile voice calls should be the default-billing mode.

The Memorandum of Circular 06-07-2009 or the Guidelines of Unit of Billing of Mobile Voice Service issued in July, however, stated that subscribers may opt to be billed on a one-minute per pulse basis or to subscribe to unlimited service offerings or any service offerings if they actively and knowingly enroll in the scheme.

Roy Ibay, Smart’s head of regulatory affairs said the company starting Wednesday has complied with the NTC rule to implement the new billing scheme for mobile voice calls for inter-networks.

To avail of the per pulse billing, Smart prepaid subscribers should dial *5434; Talk ‘N Text, *2255; Red Mobile, *3512 and post paid, *5433.

Representatives of Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular were unavailable for comment as of press time.

Earlier, the NTC issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against the telcos, instructing them to stop billing subscribers on a per minute basis and to offer subscribers a rebate after the companies persisted in using the old billing mode alongside the new six-second pulse scheme.

The NTC issued the CDO after telcos defied the new pulse billing rule by offering a scheme whereby the subscriber has to use a special prefix code before they can avail of the per pulse billing.

The telcos said the NTC had kept them in the dark about the new billing scheme.

“There was no discussion between the NTC and Smart on the matter of default billing. To expect Smart and other telcos to implement the six-second pulse billing as the ‘default’ billing scheme when the same was not discussed with Smart is volatile,” the mobile phone unit of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said.

“Smart could not have been expected by this Honorable Commission to implement the six-second pulse billing system as deserved by this Commission. In the absence of the implementing regulations on the matter,” the telco said.

Globe also had claimed that the pulse billing order benefited from no consultation with industry players.

“Globe was never given the chance and opportunity to be heard prior to the issuance of and prior to Globe being punished by the CDO,” the Ayala-led telco said.

The NTC’s per pulse charging scheme for mobile voice calls began on December 6 for intra-networks or within the same networks.

This means that calls made by subscribers should be billed based on the actual duration of use. The flag-down rate for the first two pulses should not exceed P3.

The NTC said the pulse rate for the succeeding minutes should in no case exceed the prevailing per minute rate divided by 10. This means that the rates for the first minute should be P0.56 per pulse, while succeeding minutes would be charged P0.75 per pulse.