DICT: 3 foreign telcos keen on joining Philippine data transmission industry

Three foreign telecommunications companies have expressed interest in joining the Philippines' data transmission industry after the Konektadong Pinoy Bill lapsed into law last month, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda said Monday.

The Konektadong Pinoy law allows new data transmission players to operate without a legislative franchise or Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN).

Aguda said the implementing rules and regulations would be available in the first week of October.

The measure has drawn flak from some groups, such as the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO), made of the country’s leading telecommunications companies, and the Philippine Association of Private Telecommunications Companies (PAPTELCO).

The PCTO earlier said that while it supports the measure's goal of expanding internet access across the country, it could lead to national security vulnerabilities, weaken regulatory oversight, and destabilize the telecommunications sector.

The DICT vowed that it would not allow deregulation at the expense of security or public interest. –NB, GMA Integrated News