DICT to ask Duterte to extend deadline for 3rd telco player

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will ask President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the timeline for having a third telco player operational in the country.

DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio intends to convey the message to the President during the Feb. 3 Cabinet meeting.

In a preliminary conference and consultation for selecting a third telco on Wednesday in Quezon City, the department presented its timeline for a new industry player—targeting to accept bid documents from participating telcos on March 27 and announce the winning bidder by April 2.

But former National Telecommunications Commissioner (NTC) Ronald Solis is concerned about the deadline, saying it’s “too tight” for aspiring telcos and may result in legal challenges for the winning bidder.

Rio emphasized that the DICT can only ask for an extension of a few months, not one year.

In a separate interview after the first meeting with stakeholders, Rio told reporters it would likely be two months at most. “Two months from the end of March is maybe reasonable,” he said.

In December last year, Malacañang said President Duterte wanted the third telco player to start operating and serving consumers within the first quarter of 2018.

Duterte even instructed the DICT and the NTC to approve applications and licenses within seven days after the requirements have been submitted. He also warned the courts not to “interfere and prolong” the process.

During Wednesday’s consultations, Rio said the winning bidder must have the “highest committed investment for the next five years.”

The DICT will come up with the final terms of reference for the selection of a third telco player on February 19.

The country's telecom industry is considered a duopoly dominated by rivals PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc., prompting calls for a third telco player to improve services and lower costs on the part of consumers. —VDS, GMA News