Consumers who experience extended internet or telecom service disruptions may soon receive bill credits without having to file complaints, following the House of Representatives’ approval of a new measure aimed at tightening accountability among service providers.
In a unanimous vote during Monday’s plenary session, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 178 on third and final reading, with 271 lawmakers voting in favor of the proposal.
The measure requires public telecommunications entities and internet service providers to apply a pro-rated refund or billing adjustment when a customer is affected by an outage or interruption lasting at least 24 hours within a billing month. The refund obligation, however, does not apply if the disruption results from scheduled network maintenance, fortuitous events, or actions attributable to third parties or the subscriber.
“The concerned PTEs and ISPs shall apply an automatic bill adjustment, without need for consumer to initiate request, after a standard process, but shall not preclude the consumer from filing a complaint to the appropriate administrative or quasi-judicial agency for disputes regarding refund or bill adjustment amount,” the bill stated.
Service providers that fail to comply with the refund mechanism may face fines ranging from P50,000 to P200,000 per violation. Repeat offenders risk harsher sanctions, including the revocation or cancellation of licenses, registrations, or franchises, as well as the removal of pre-termination fees for affected subscribers and the prompt release of any remaining credits linked to excessive service downtime.
Separately, the chamber also gave unanimous approval on third and final reading to House Bill 22, a measure that seeks to make internet access more affordable and accessible by institutionalizing a zero spectrum user fee policy for telecommunications companies using specific Wi-Fi frequencies or spectrum bands.
