Sky Cable obeys NTC stoppage order, vows to ‘exhaust all legal remedies’

MANILA, Philippines — ABS-CBN subsidiary Sky Cable Corporation on Tuesday vowed to exhaust all legal remedies to resume its direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service Sky Direct, following a cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In a statement, Sky Cable said it would comply with the NTC order but lamented that it would leave some 1.5 million Sky Direct subscribers without access to news, information, education, and entertainment.

“In the spirit of fairness, we continue to appeal to the NTC to extend the same privilege given in the past to other companies whose franchises have expired but are currently pending in Congress to continue its operations until a resolution is passed,” Sky Cable said.

“We assure our subscribers that we will exhaust all legal remedies to resume our services,” it added.

The telecommunications company also said that it would refund all unconsumed prepaid loads and advance postpaid payments in compliance with the NTC order.

“We appeal to our SKYdirect subscribers and partners for understanding and patience as we undergo this process,” it said.

The firm also assured SKYcable and SKY broadband subscribers of continued services as they are unaffected by the franchise expiration.

The legislative franchise of Sky Cable, according to NTC, expired on May 4, along with that of ABS-CBN’s. NTC shutdown ABS-CBN free television operations on May 5.

READ: NTC orders ABS-CBN to halt Sky Direct operations

“Upon the expiration of R.A. No. 7969, Sky Cable Corporation no longer has a valid and subsisting congressional franchise to install, operate, or maintain a Direct Broadcast Satellite Service,” the NTC order reads.

KGA