For the purpose of exempting specific telecommunications service from rate or tariff regulations if the service has sufficient competition to ensure fair and reasonable rates or tariffs, the Commission hereby deregulates the provision of special features inherent to the Telephone Network.

SECTION 1.       For the purpose of this Circular, Special Feature shall refer to a feature inherent to the telephone network which may not be ordinarily provided by a Telephone Service Provider such as call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, speed dialing, caller ID, malicious call ID, call transfer, charging information, call pick-up, call barring, recorded announcement, no double connect, warm line, wake-up call, hotline, voice mail, and special features offered to customers with PABXs such as direct inward dialing and number hunting, and the like; provided that in the provision of the feature, no law, rule, regulation or international convention on telecommunications is circumvented or violated. The Commission shall periodically update the list of special features in the Telephone Network which, including the charging of rates therefor, shall be deregulated.

SECTION 2.       A duly Telephone Service Provider shall inform the Commission in writing of the special features it can offer and the corresponding rates thirty (30) days prior to launch date.

SECTION 3.       At least fifteen (15) days prior to offering any new special feature, the Telephone Service Provider shall inform all affected subscribers.

SECTION 4.       Authorized Telephone Service Providers shall continue to charge their duly approved rates for special services for 3 months from the effectivity of this circular, after which they set their own rates.

SECTION 5.       Special features offered to an interconnecting public telecommunications entity shall be based on the additional cost of providing said special service.

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 3 Nov. 1997