ISLAMABAD, July 26: For many consumers, figuring out their monthly PTCL phone bill has become equivalent of deciphering hieroglyphics, with baffling new charges creating a thicket of items from top to bottom of the bill.

Some of the add-ons are new, like the "Pakistan Plus," "Basic Plus" and "Value Plus". Others like the “PRS Charges”, “SMS Charges”, "Special Facility Charges” or the “Miscellaneous Charges” which many of the consumers could not comprehend what they really are and which add to the growing portion of an average monthly bill.

Although line rents and taxes have been around for a long while, they have been growing. More consumers today are complaining that such fees have become a backdoor way for Pakistan Telecommunication Company to raise prices.

What has really pricked PTCL consumers in their sides are the more than 200 per cent increase in local call charges that consumers used to enjoy the cheapest not so long ago.Helpless consumers have been observing for past several months how PTCL – either with tacit approval or with complete ignorance of officers concerned of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) with regard to their duties to look after consumer’s interest – has been taking citizens for a ride.

Numerous PTCL subscribers spoke out on those all too familiar experiences of having to pay excessive phone bills as they expressed overwhelming and nearly unanimous opposition to increase in rates.

“Without having brought any major improvements in their performances, PTCL is minting money at the cost of its unsuspecting subscribers by playing very clever tricks through manipulating calling packages/times/charges,” said Wg Cdr ® Muhammad Najeeb, complaining of his excessive phone bills.

According to several subscribers, PTCL had gone even more expensive than mobile companies by reducing time limit of a local call to 2 minutes.

Consumers failed to understand how Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) could allow a dominant player to abuse its monopolistic position and allow more than 200 per cent increase.

A 5 minutes local call which used to cost Rs2 was now being charged Rs6 due to policies and lack of positive control of the PTA.

“The latest affront to consumers is charging calls for directory assistance. It is the duty of the PTCL to provide a free telephone directory with every connection and new issues,” Rizwan Butt, a resident of Islamabad.

PTA charged hefty licence fees from mobile companies who had established completely new networks with direct foreign investments of billions of dollars and generated thousands of white collar jobs while maintaining strict quality and price control on their packages either directly or through creating fair competition.

But what the PTCL subscribers failed to comprehend was how the company was given free hand by the PTA to continue penalising their customers who had not been provided any viable fixed line alternative choice.

“It costs less than a rupee a minute to call a number in the UK, thousands of miles away but it now costs more than that if I call my next door neighbour, thanks to PTA and the PTCL policies,” said Jamil Ahmed, a consultant.

Adding insult to injury, Pakistan Packages etc were compulsorily charged on all phones unless one opted out.

“Many have no regular access to print or electronic media. Those who could not opt out were charged and the PTCL coffers kept filling without having done any major improvement in their services/network or having done any new capital investment like mobile companies,” said Col S Hamid Ali Shah.

He was also apprehensive that many calls like a busy number or an out of order/non-answering number or even recorded messages, were being charged, adding, “When will all those claiming to be working and controlling public welfare see the folly of the way local calls are priced?”

Likewise, many PTCL’s DSL users saddled with extra charges for their so called “quality service” also complain about poor performance. “Not once since its installation has PTCL come over to fix it,” she complained about her DSL service which had been completely down since last three days and had not been fixed.

Ms Rukhenilofar, a resident in sector I-8 complained about her phone bill going up in return for a DSL service that never worked proper from the day she had it installed six months ago.

Nasir Iqbal who had the PTCL’s DSL installed for important work related assignments was also “completely dissatisfied” with its working.

“I’m helpless. I can’t even send a simple email,” he said. And Imran Ali who applied for installation of PTCL’s DSL, had not heard from them since last two weeks.

Written complaints to PTA and Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) have turned out to be a futile exercise.

Nonetheless, PTCL subscribers urged the PTA to exercise its due role like it did in case of cellular mobile companies, and allow three to four fixed lines services.They requested the CCP to “order” PTCL to revoke reduction of time to 2 minutes in local call duration, distribute latest directories to all subscribers and calls to directory assistance may not be charged as it is formed part of normal customer services.

“Failing these, CCP should impose penalties of unfair non-competitive cartel-like trade practices on PTCL/PTA under relevant sections and ordinances,” said Wg Cdr (Retd) Muhammad Najeeb.