The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of the Philippines has issued new rules restricting VoIP services.
Under the recently issued regulations, VoIP calls must be routed through fixed-line carriers. It is illegal for calls to be routed solely and directly via foreign IP addresses.
Furthermore, the NTC regulations prohibit foreign-owned companies from offering VoIP services in the Philippines. Only companies which are at least 60% owned by Filipino citizens will be allowed to offer VoIP.
The regulations appear to have been put in place for protectionist reasons, though, no doubt, they’ll force Filipinos to continue paying high prices for long distance telephone service.
12-17-2006 03:47:20
this is bloody crazy. the gov’t obviousy protects the the big business who has long monopolized the communication network at the expense of the poor people . hope that god will take them away..
5-28-2007 20:05:18
that’s rediculous!the voip is a great technology that could help bring down cost.afterall the internet is a free society why would the NTC ban this foreign players from giving this poor filipinos espcially overseas and their relatives back home from getting the best deals their money could buy. haven’t they contributed enough to the contries treasure chest to be givn this priviledge to hav more talk with their loveones. i am an OFW and i know how it feels to have this technology be deregulated. for the benifit of th people and not those profit greedy telecom companies.