A lawmaker has proposed two measures aimed at providing stronger consumer protection for internet and mobile data subscribers.
In an interview, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco revealed that he has filed House Bill Nos. 649 and 650, in relation to protecting users of data and the internet.
The “Internet Refund Bill”, or House Bill No. 649, seeks to improve the quality of internet service by requiring service providers to refund subscribers when they experience prolonged service interruptions.
Under Tiangco’s proposal, subscribers will be entitled to a refund if internet service outages reach a total of 24 hours within a month. The refund will be pro-rated, meaning the amount returned will depend on the actual duration of the service disruption.
“Layon ng Internet Refund Bill na mabigyan ng mas maayos na internet service ang mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng isang refund mechanism o pagbalik ng pera kapag hindi naibibigay ang serbisyong binabayaran ng tao (The Internet Refund Bill aims to provide Filipinos with better internet service by establishing a refund mechanism that allows consumers to get their money back when the service they paid for is not delivered),” Tiangco explained.
House Bill No. 650, or the “Roll Over Data Bill,” for its part, proposes that unused, prepaid data be rolled over to the next billing cycle, giving subscribers the right to fully consume the data they have already paid for.
“Sa kasalukuyan, ang hindi nagamit ng mga subscribers na data eh nasasayang lang. Ang ating panukala ay i-roll over ito sa next billing cycle at bigyan ang subscriber ng karapatan na magamit ito dahil bayad na naman nila ito,” he explained, adding that the measure would greatly benefit consumers, especially those with limited budgets.
Tiangco stressed that internet access is now an essential service, used not only for social media but also for education, business, work, and daily transactions.
“Napakahalaga ng internet sa makabagong panahon ngayon. Hangarin natin na mapagaan naman sa bulsa ng mga mamamayan ang essential na serbisyong ito,” he pointed out. PR
