NOW Telecom eyes 4th telco slot

NOW Telecom Co. Inc. is gearing up to compete as the fourth major telecommunications player in the country, saying it intends to enter the fifth generation (5G) wireless network technology space.

The company has teamed up with the Singapore-based HyalRoute Group which plans to spend up to $2 billion on fiber optic cable network in the Philippines.

The investment will be coursed through HyalRoute’s subsidiary Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd. (PFOCN).

NOW Telecom president Rodolfo Pantoja said the partnership will open NOW to markets that are currently “prohibitive” because of the capital expenditure involved.

“The nationwide backbone (of HyralRoute-PFOCN) allows us to replicate our success in Metro Manila with guaranteed throughput broadband services that continue to resonate with enterprises especially those where availability of reliability broadband is mission-critical,” Pantoja noted.

Pantoja said this will give NOW the opportunity to launch “disruptive” 5G offerings with speeds of up to 20 gigabits per second.

“5G is necessary for the Internet of Things to thrive. With cloud computing, you can now decentralize the business of telecommunications,” he said.

In July, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan III said he will push for the entry of a possible fourth or even a fifth telco player.

Dito Telecommunity Corporation, formerly Mislatel Consortium, bagged the slot to operate as the third telecommunications player on July 8, 2019.

It will compete with incumbents Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc., and Pangilinan-led PLDT Inc. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News