3rd telco selection proceeds as scheduled–Rio

DICT acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. (Photo from the Facebook page of the DICT)

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday shut the door to further delays in the third telco selection process, with a new contender to the PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom duopoly to be identified within the fourth quarter of 2018.

DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. made the statement as the department led a public hearing on its latest draft terms of reference.

During the meeting, at least two participants described the proposed schedule as too tight and proposed that they be given two to six more months to prepare credible offers.

Rio, who reminded them that President Duterte had insisted on having a new major telco player by March 2018, said he was not inclined to grant more time.

“I know for a fact there are a number of interested players who have done their due diligence,” said Rio, who said the bid documents would be available for purchase by Sept. 26. “So it would be unfair to those who are ready.”

“It’s too late if you are just thinking of coming in now,” he added during the hearing, which lured over 250 people, including ICT and consumer advocates, representatives from PLDT and Globe, aspiring third telco players and foreign embassy officials.

Rio said local groups that had signaled their interest were Converge ICT Solutions, EasyCall Communications Philippines, NOW Corp., Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T), TierOne and Transpacific Broadband Group.

Among interested foreign telcos are China Telecom, South Korean companies KT Corp. and LG Uplus, Norway’s Telenor and US-baed AT&T. He said Japanese and Vietnamese telcos were also interested. A spokesman for Hanoi-based Viettel confirmed their interest in an e-mail.

Industry veteran Renato Garcia, who joined PT&T as director and executive vice president in March, said they would be ready to bid by the DICT’s deadline.

The third telco player, which will get a set of 3G, 4G and potential 5G radio frequencies, will be chosen based on the highest committed level of service model.