Senate approves bill that allows accumulating unused balance of cell phone packages

The Senate Science and Technology Committee approved this Wednesday morning (10) a proposal that allows cell phone users to accumulate call minutes and data packages provided for in the contracted plan and that were not used in a certain period.

The proposal was approved en bloc, along with other projects, by eight votes in favor and none against. The vote was final, which means that it does not need to be analyzed in plenary and can go straight to the Chamber of Deputies – unless a request to the contrary is presented by a senator.

The bill authored by Senator Telmário Mota (PTB-RR) amends the general telecommunications law, adding to the list of users’ rights the possibility of accumulating unused balances.

Currently, in many plans offered by telephone operators, users are entitled to use a certain amount of call minutes, messages to be sent and data packages. This amount is renewed from time to time and what was not used in the foreseen period is lost.

The bill, therefore, allows any balance recorded at the end of the period to be accumulated and used later.

The rapporteur of the proposal, Acir Gurgacz (PDT-RO), argued in his text that the measure seeks to protect the economic interests of consumers and avoid abusive practices and clauses in the provision of products and services. He stated that there is an unequal treatment in situations where there is a remaining balance or when the package is insufficient for users.

“In this case, the abuse is manifested in the inequality of treatment present in the relationship between users and telecommunications companies. As highlighted by the author of the project, when the user exceeds the monthly limit contracted, he is obliged to purchase additional packages. , when the consumer does not fully use the contracted quantities, he loses the right to use the balances in the future, which is not fair”, said the rapporteur.

Gurgacz also adds that there will be no difficulties in implementing this control of balances, since telecommunications companies already monitor users’ consumption, including for the purpose of charging packages or additional credits.

End of carrier code

The Science and Technology Commission also approved another final bill that extinguishes the provider selection code for making telephone calls. The text changes again the general telecommunications law to provide that this choice will no longer be necessary and that the provider that originates the call will be responsible for the rights and duties related to it.

The exception will be the case of reverse charging – such as collect calls – when the rights and duties will be the responsibility of the provider that terminates the call.

The author of the proposal, minority leader Jean Paul Prates (PT-RN), argues that the provider selection code, instituted after the privatization of Telebras, has lost its function. He adds that broadband services are growing, at the same time that telephony is losing importance and that there are studies for the end of service concessions.

“In this sense, we understand that the provider selection code, despite being relevant in the first years after privatization, has already exhausted its function. Currently, it represents only a regulatory burden that remains from a distant past, which only serves to increase the cost providers and, consequently, consumers”, says the senator, in the justification of the project.

Another proposal approved on a terminative basis guarantees users of telecommunications services the right to access the service provider’s service channels, even in the event of suspension of the service.