MANILA, Philippines - Bloggers, web designers, consumers, Internet café owners expressed disappointment over the plan of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose a cap on the volume of data that an Internet user downloads a day.

In a public hearing on Tuesday, Internet users dismissed the observation of many that they are abusive, logging on many hours just to download pirated movies and videos and sell these to the public.

“The issue of consumer abuse is weird, because telcos actually encourage consumers to use the Internet, to become avid Internet users, to watch and upload videos and photos. The fact of the matter is that the Philippines has become a social-media capital, partly due to the encouragements of the telcos. Now, we are shocked that they are taking it against us that we are allegedly abusing their services and infrastructure,” said consumer group TXTPower spokesman Ian Anthony Cruz.

The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) said the industry is witness to just a handful of abusive users “hogging” available bandwidth thereby impacting other normal customers’ broadband experience.

About 5 percent to 7 percent hog 80 percent of the available bandwidth leaving only 20 percent of the capacity to be shared by 93 percent to 95 percent of the remaining users.

“Hence, in all broadband markets, a fair-use policy enforcement, rather than a compulsory minimum grade of service, has been the norm,” said PCTO president Rodolfo Salalima.

The NTC, as ordered by Malacañang, wants to get rid of abusive Internet users by imposing a maximum volume of data that a subscriber downloads a day.

It has circulated a draft memorandum circular which contains the following: service providers may set the maximum volume of data allowed per subscriber/per day; the subscriber shall be properly informed of the broadband connection service being offered to them; and service providers may offer broadband connection on a “best effort” basis.

During the hearing, NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said it would call for another public consultation soon to address the concern of all parties, particularly the consumers.

“We asked them to submit their position papers and call for another hearing. We need time to digest all their comments so we will able to reply to them accordingly,” said Cordoba.

The draft order also requires broadband service providers to price their Internet service offerings based on service reliability and speed connection.

It also wants them to publicly reveal the minimum Internet connection speed and service reliability. This is meant to address complaints on poor quality and very low speed as oppose to the providers’ advertised connection speed.

The NTC wants to impose a minimum of 80 percent service reliability which is measured over a period of one month and calculated as hours used in a day less the hours used below minimum connection speed in a day divided by the number of hours used in a day.

The service offers shall specify the service rates for a minimum broadband connection speed and the service reliability. As such, only P900 a month should be paid for by a consumer who is getting 512 Kbps minimum connection speed and 80 percent service reliability; P1,000 a month for 512 Kbps minimum connection speed and 85 percent service reliability, and so on.