DICT chief Honasan eyes 4th and 5th telco players

Newly-appointed Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan III on Tuesday said he will push for the entry of a possible fourth or even a fifth player in the country’s telecommunications sector.

“Yes,” Honasan said when asked if the DICT under his helm would facilitate the entry of a fourth or fifth player as then-Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr.’s third telco initiative.

“Level the playing field ... Mag-compete kayo,” the former senator said.

At the core of opening the industry to more companies is to bring prices down and prod the players to be more efficient for the benefit of consumers.

“Let’s not talk about the issue of duopoly, ‘wag na tayo makipag-away ... Let’s harness the patriotic instincts of these entities to serve public interest and make profits at the same time,” Honasan noted.

“Balancing interest para mas mabilis, efficient, at mas secure,” he added.

Under Rio's supervision, the DICT facilitated the entry of a new major player in the  telecommunications sector after President Rodrigo Duterte gave the ordered to open the industry—currently dominated by giants PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc.—to competition.

After a more than a year-long search, the government named Mislatel Consortium—composed of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp., its subsidiary Chelsea Logistics, foreign partner China Telecom, and franchise holder Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co.—as the third telco player.

Mislatel Consortium is scheduled to fulfill its final requirement of paying a performance bond on July 8 before getting the license and frequencies to operate, Rio has said.

Asked when the DICT will initiate the search for a fourth or fifth telco, Honasan did not give a definite timeline.

“Level the playing field ... walang lamangan, sundin ang law on bidding process,” he said.

Rio earlier said the DICT will study how the government can reclaim radio frequencies that are not being used by telecommunications companies and reassign the spectrum to potential new players. 

Globe and PLDT agreed that unused frequencies should be utilized to benefit the public. —VDS, GMA News