Gov’t to reallocate frequencies for more telcos to enter market

The government on Monday said it plans to develop a framework to reallocate unutilized spectrum frequencies and make way for more telecommunication companies to enter the market.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said the department is now looking at crafting a Frequency Management Policy.

“We will rationalize that also. It will require getting back frequencies that are allocated. It requires a frequency management policy,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the BusinessWorld Industry 4.0 Summit.

Honasan was asked whether the remaining frequencies can accommodate more telco players, as he earlier vowed to push for a possible fourth or even a fifth industry player.

Last month, NOW Telecom Company announced its intention to enter the fifth-generation (5G) wireless network space, gearing up to compete as the fourth major telco.

The planned framework will allow the DICT to audit the use of frequencies, and recover those that are underutilized, Honasan noted.

“Noon, ang intervention lang kasi is pagfa-farm out ng spectrum. Hindi dapat ganon lang—may monitoring and performance auditing. Nag-perform ba kayo? Anong ginawa niyo sa binigay namin sa inyong frequency? Ganon ang approach,” he said.

Incumbent players PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. have earlier promised to support the government in reassigning unused frequencies.

Honasan declined set a definite timeline for the new policy framework, noting that the focus now remains on rolling out the third telco.

“I cannot say, I cannot be locked into certain timetables because as we speak, variables are coming up. Gawin muna natin ‘yung doables,” he said.

“Sa ngayon kasi, I cannot. Wala pa. Tignan muna natin itong third telco,” Honasan added.

Dito Telecommunity Corporation, formerly Mislatel Consortium, was awarded the third telecommunications slot on July 8, 2019.

It is set to compete with the incumbents starting 2020. —VDS, GMA News