Consumers, rejoice! The Department of Justice (DOJ) released on Dec. 12, 2014 an Advisory Opinion clearly siding with Filipino internet users against the telco practice of imposing data caps and speed throttling through so-called “fair usage” policies (FUP).

The DOJ’s Advisory Opinion practically laid out the legal basis for suing the telcos over the arbitrary “limits” they impose on subscribers who subscribe to their “unlimited” internet offers, and called on the public to file complaints with the telcos themselves and with agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In other words, there is no legal basis for data caps and throttling, and there is a legal basis to complain and demand the delivery of promised internet speeds. 

The technical working group formed by the Department of Trade and Industry has released a draft final report on the application of DTI rules on the requirement of sales permit for all online sales promotions.

In the interest of transparency and to allow as many bloggers to check and react to the draft final report, I am sharing the document in full:

Information and measurement company Nielsen today released in Singapore the first Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report, declaring that widening internet usage is “revolutionizing digital media usage” in the region.

According to Nielsen:

Rapid technological developments, including high-speed internet access and WiFi, and increasing ownership of connected devices such as smartphones and tablets are revolutionizing digital media usage in Southeast Asia, with internet usage in some markets surpassing time spent on traditional media such as television, radio or print.

Photo from maxdy1412.wordpress.com

While Filipino netizens are pressing government, Congress included, for action so we could finally have #betterinternet, some Members of Congress want to do something else: Launch a crackdown on vaguely-defined “cybercrimes”.

Lawmakers have not given up on their dangerous project and on Feb. 2, the House ICT Committee holds a meeting to tackle seven “cybercrime” prevention bills that are pending in the current Congress.

The Superion, the Android tablet-phone with a Qualcomm processor.

Maverick Philippine handset maker Cherry Mobile tonight unveiled the country’s first Android-powered tablet and two other Android phones.

The Superion, priced at P19,990, is powered by Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) and sports the following: Qualcomm MSM 7227 600MHz processor, 512MB ROM/512MB RAM, 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, 16GB expandable to 32MB, 3G/HSDPA, GPS/AGPS, WIFI, Bluetooth, standard mini-USB, 3.5 standard audio jack, G-sensor, ambient light sensor and two cameras (3MP main camera with autofocus and a VGA camera in front).

Local handset maker Cherry Mobile recently made history by releasing to the market the country’s first triple-SIM cellphone, the Trident.

This handset is aimed at those who juggle three handsets to make the most out of the offerings of the country’s three mobile carriers. So instead of buying and maintaining three handsets, Cherry Mobile makes this attractive proposition to chuck them all in favor of the Trident.

Ka Satur Ocampo, the respected leftist statesman running for the Senate this year, doesn’t look and act like he’s 70 years old, which he already is. His endurance is obvious in his active leadership and participation in street protests. He’s young at heart, remaining true to the hopefulness of the ranks of young Filipinos to which he once proudly belonged.

On July 26, the eve of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s state of the nation address, bloggers and members of Facebook group Pilipinas Kontra Con-Ass will stage a Cyberprotest and Blog Action Day.

Through various means, we wish to say a principled and committed NO to all the naked attempts to deceive the people about the alleged need to change the Constitution. But whatever they say and however they lie, it is clear to most bloggers and netizens that the evil regime led by Mrs. Arroyo herself are scared of leaving office. They are scared to death that come June 30, 2010, when her questionable term of office supposedly ends, she will face a whole slew of cases to make her liable for all her criminal liabilities against the nation.

For the past few months, the House committee on oversight quietly studied how revenue agencies could jack up the proceeds from gazillions of pesos in a new tax to be siphoned off from Filipino cellphone users.

In its narrow view, the House panel avers that government is not able to check whether the taxes remitted by telcos were above board and commensurate to their total income and sales. Lest we forget, the government already imposes a 12 percent VAT on calls and text as well as an overseas communications tax on international services. These taxes apply to all subscribers, whether postpaid or prepaid.

For these Members of Congress, the solution to the purported loopholes in VAT and OCT collections is to ask the public to pay between five to 50 centavos in a new tax. Proceeds will go to buying metering machines each worth between $20M to $30M. The metering machines would connect the BIR, NTC and the telcos and would purportedly plug the loopholes.

Nielsen Media presented anew on Thursday night the highlights of the Yahoo-Nielsen study titled Net Index 2009 Philippines which is touted as “the first in-depth media study of internet users in urban Philippines”.

Jay Bautista, executive director of Nielsen Media, presented the results of the study last night before members of IMMAP, journalists and bloggers at a bar at Bonifacio High Street, The Fort.

Download the highlights of the study as presented by Bautista through the link below: