By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and other concerned agencies should take cue from President Duterte's State of the Nation Address (SONA) and fast track the entry of the third telecommunication player.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said this as he appealed to the concerned agencies to act on Duterte's call during his third SONA Monday.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) President Duterte, in his speech, affirmed his vow to ensure that telecommunication services in the country are "reliable, inexpensive and secure." He cited a draft Terms of Reference for the entry of the new telecommunication player. "Now that the President has declared very adamantly in his SONA that improvement of telecoms services is a top government priority, the lead agencies should take their cue and fast track the rules on the entry of a third telco player," said the chair of the Senate Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship Committee. Pimentel, earlier, criticized the DICT and the interagency Oversight Committee for the Entry of a New Major Player in the Public Telecommunications Market for their "languid" pace in crafting the draft terms which stipulates the rules on the assignment of radio frequencies. Pimentel, however, noted that "no concrete and positive steps had been taken by the concerned government agencies" since he called their attention last month. For Pimentel, the President's pronouncements last July 23 were a "wake-up call" to the DICT to finish said draft terms. “The President’s SONA message is a strong wake-up call. Or should the agencies just treat it like one of those dropped calls or lost text messages that telco consumers experience every day? Would the DICT and the oversight committee say 'Message Not Sent, Mr. President'?” he challenged. Pimentel, in his call, stressed the importance of telecommunications in improving the country's economy. “Telecommunications is just as potent an economic driver as physical infrastructure. It’s as important as sound economic policy. The President knows this, that’s why he reiterated the need for a robust telecom industry, with emphasis on efficiency and low cost,” he noted. "We need quicker and cheaper telco service, and we need it now. If no less than the President says so, that’s the time to act fast,” he added. Despite widespread mobile usage in the Philippines -- at an estimated 73 million users spending an average 3.2 hours online -- the country is lagging behind major ASEAN neighbors Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia in terms of Internet and 4G LTE speeds while charging one of the highest usage rates in the region. The government, consumers and experts alike have attributed the slow and expensive mobile service to the country’s telco duopoly.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) President Duterte, in his speech, affirmed his vow to ensure that telecommunication services in the country are "reliable, inexpensive and secure." He cited a draft Terms of Reference for the entry of the new telecommunication player. "Now that the President has declared very adamantly in his SONA that improvement of telecoms services is a top government priority, the lead agencies should take their cue and fast track the rules on the entry of a third telco player," said the chair of the Senate Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship Committee. Pimentel, earlier, criticized the DICT and the interagency Oversight Committee for the Entry of a New Major Player in the Public Telecommunications Market for their "languid" pace in crafting the draft terms which stipulates the rules on the assignment of radio frequencies. Pimentel, however, noted that "no concrete and positive steps had been taken by the concerned government agencies" since he called their attention last month. For Pimentel, the President's pronouncements last July 23 were a "wake-up call" to the DICT to finish said draft terms. “The President’s SONA message is a strong wake-up call. Or should the agencies just treat it like one of those dropped calls or lost text messages that telco consumers experience every day? Would the DICT and the oversight committee say 'Message Not Sent, Mr. President'?” he challenged. Pimentel, in his call, stressed the importance of telecommunications in improving the country's economy. “Telecommunications is just as potent an economic driver as physical infrastructure. It’s as important as sound economic policy. The President knows this, that’s why he reiterated the need for a robust telecom industry, with emphasis on efficiency and low cost,” he noted. "We need quicker and cheaper telco service, and we need it now. If no less than the President says so, that’s the time to act fast,” he added. Despite widespread mobile usage in the Philippines -- at an estimated 73 million users spending an average 3.2 hours online -- the country is lagging behind major ASEAN neighbors Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia in terms of Internet and 4G LTE speeds while charging one of the highest usage rates in the region. The government, consumers and experts alike have attributed the slow and expensive mobile service to the country’s telco duopoly.