Senate to conduct hearing on ‘third player’ telco selection

THE SENATE on Monday will hold a hearing into the ongoing process of selecting the country’s third telecommunications service provider.

In a statement, Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, chair of the Senate committee of public services, said the hearing was in the exercise of the Senate’s oversight functions to be informed of the developments surrounding the selection of the so-called “third player,” the latest entrant into the telecommunications industry.

“We need to have meaningful competition in public utilities like telecommunications that will translate to lower costs and better service,” Ms. Llamanzares said.

A total of eight parties have purchased bid documents from the National Telecommunications Commission since they were made available on Oct. 8. Bid documents can be purchased online or at the NTC office for P1 million until the deadline for submission of bids on Nov. 7.

Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. has said the third player will be named before the end of the year. Among those invited to the hearing are Mr. Rio as well as representatives from the NTC, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).

Companies expected to participate in selection, possibly as local partners of foreign firms, include NOW Corp., Converge ICT Solutions, Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T), among others are expected to appear. Incumbent telcos Globe Telecom, Inc. and PLDT, Inc. are also invited as well.

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