Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party is asking the Malta Communication Authority to ensure that mobile phone operators set up a monitoring system on mobile phone spending.

Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, stated, “Due to the complexity and variety of prepaid and postfix contracts and with the introduction of mobile phone number portability, a mobile phone user often does not know the amount he has spent on a call, on a SMS, MMS or data connectivity.”

Prof. Cassola concluded, “Postpaid clients will only be able to check the details of their spendings after receiving their monthly bill, while prepaid clients are left completely in the dark.”

Henrik Piski, spokesperson for IT and Communication said, “In order to introduce a better spending control system for mobile phone clients, Alternattiva Demokratika is asking the regulator to impose a spending control system for mobile phone users whereby after each provision of any mobile phone service, the mobile phone operator immediately informs the customer of the price of the delivered service.”

“This service is even more essential when the client is using the roaming facility as it is absolutely impossible for the clients to verify and control the mobile phones costs while abroad,” concluded Henrik Piski.

AD also brings up issue of call time credit in Malta with European Commission

Arnold Cassola also announced that AD has brought up with the European Commission the issue of telephone companies in Malta that have been adopting the practice whereby credit for call time bought through top-up cards, vouchers or schemes is limited by a time limit for consumption. The issue has been brought up through MEP Monica Frassoni, who is the Co-President of the Green Group in the European Parliament.

Henrik Piski, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesperson on IT and Communications, stated: “Basically, this means that when subscribers do not use up all their call time credit within a specified date or else they do not top up their credit again before such date, all the remaining call time credit is lost and forfeited to the detriment of the customer and all in favour of the telephone companies.”

“We are maintaining that such practice of Maltese mobile phone companies contradicts European law,” concluded Henrik Piski.

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