Poe: 3rd telco to bring down rates, improve service in PH

Senator Grace Poe said on Monday that the entry of a new major telecommunications player will introduce fresh competition in the market which in turn may bring down rates and improve telco services in the country.

“Ang pagpasok ng third telco ay isang paraan para masigurado ang kompetisyon at mas bumaba ang ating babayaran para sa serbisyo. Puwede tayong makapamili…kung ano ang mas mura at de-kalidad, ‘yun ang ating pakay dito,” Poe said in a statement.

(The entry of the third telco is a way to ensure competition and to bring down our expense for service. We can choose a more affordable and quality telco, that’s our purpose here.)

“Nais nating magtagumpay ang bidding na ito… para maramdaman ng ating mga kababayan [ang mas magandang serbisyo],” she added.

(We want this bidding to be a successful one so that the public can feel the quality service.)

READ: 3rd telco may have its first subscribers by 2019 — NTC, DICT execs

In a hearing of Senate committee on public services on Monday, Department of Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said the government is set to announce a “provisional” third telco on November 7 barring any decision from the courts.

Rio was pertaining to possible legal hurdles that they may face due to a recent case filed by a prospective bidder against the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) regarding the terms of reference that imposed securities and bonds on the bidders.

“Hindi naman nila puwedeng basta-bastang pigilin ang proseso ng pagkakaroon ng third telco dahil lamang hindi sila nasiyahan do’n sa mga probisyon [ng terms of reference]. Tayo din ay nakikiusap doon sa mga [nag-file] na ‘wag ninyong pabagalin pa ang proseso,” Poe said.

(We can’t just stop the process of procuring a third telco provider just because they don’t agree with the provisions of the terms of reference. We are also speaking with those who filed the case for them not to slow down the process.)

Poe pointed out that national security concerns must also be seriously considered in the selection of the third telco amid fears of spying on the government and Filipino citizens.

“Ang seguridad ng ating bansa ay pangunahin din na inyong titingnan. Hindi basta-basta na may namuhunang dayuhan ay mawawalan na tayo ng awtoridad na inspeksyunin na sila ay hindi nagba-violate sa ating mga batas,” the senator said.

(The security of the country is the priority. Just because a foreign firm will invest doesn’t mean we will lose our authority to inspect if they’re violating the law.)

Poe said the third telco must also overcome security evaluations and should not pose as a national security threat.

“Dapat masigurado na kung sinumang bansa ang mananalo din diyan sa bidding na ‘yan ay mayroong kasunduan talaga sa atin na ‘pag nahuli natin sila na bina-violate ang ating national security policies ay maaaring bawiin sa kanila itong magiging permit na magkaroon sila ng prangkisa dito sa atin,” she said.

(We need to ensure that whichever country wins the bidding, there needs to be an agreement that if they are caught violating our national security policies, we can take back their permit to have a franchise in our country.)

The heads of NTC and DICT said that China Telecommunications Corp., Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T), NOW Telecom Inc., Telenor Asa Group, Udenna Corp. (Converge ICT), LCS Group of Companies and TierOne Communications, Mobitel Holding GmBH and an undisclosed bidder were interested in the Philippines’ third telco bid.

The DICT chief said three of eight bidders are foreign firms, with one of them even bigger than Smart and Globe combined. /je