Senator Lito Lapid has filed a bill prohibiting the expiry of unused internet data that customers already paid for in subscription packages and promos.

Senate Bill No. 1880, filed by Lapid on October 12, seeks to institutionalize a “roll-over data scheme” applicable to all internet service providers (ISP).

The proposed measure requires ISPs to maintain subscribers’ internet data allocation even if they fail to use it by a certain date. Instead, the unused data allocation shall be carried over to succeeding months or other periods according to which the subscription is billed.

If subscribers have data allocations left at the end of the year, the bill states they shall get rebates equivalent to the value of their unused data. The rebates may then be used to pay for future subscriptions.

The proposal seeks to prevent scenarios in which megabytes or gigabytes of unused data included in subscriptions are forfeited after a certain “expiry” date.

If passed into law, errant ISPs would be fined P300,000 for the first offense, P500,000 for a second offense, and P1 million for a third offense – along with the revocation of its license and franchise.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing even more people to depend on the internet for work or education, Lapid said internet data should not go to waste – and subscribers should get value for their hard-earned money.

“Nakakalungkot na marami sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan ngayon ang napipilitang isama sa kanilang kapos na budget ang internet subscription. Mas masaklap pa ay hindi nalulubos ang kanilang ginagastos dahil may nasasayang na data oras na abutan ito ng expiry date,” Lapid said.

(It’s sad that many of our poor countrymen are now forced to pay for internet subscriptions despite their meager budgets. Even worse, their money is wasted when data is lost once they reach the expiry date.) – Rappler.com