Lifetime Cellphone Number Act pushed
The chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee urged yesterday Malacañang to certify as urgent the bill that would allow users to easily transfer telecommunications network providers without having to change their preferred mobile numbers.
Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, committee chairman, issued the call as the Philippine government is set to welcome the entry of a Chinese firm as the third major telecommunications (telco) player in the country.
Gatchalian is the principal author of the Lifetime Cellphone Number Act (Senate Bill 1636), a substitute bill to his earlier version Senate Bill 1237.
Under this measure, mobile subscribers are given the preference to move to other network providers while retaining their existing mobile numbers.
“This would actually reinforce government’s campaign to break the existing duopoly in the telco industry. If it’s really the government’s priority to fix the telecommunications industry in the country, the President would need to certify this bill first,” he explained.
“We need to understand that the problem should be approached on both ends. On the one hand, you open the field and encourage participation from other players. On the other, you give your consumers the flexibility on which service they want without losing their digital identity,” he added.
He explained that through the measure, telecommunication carriers would be compelled to offer better deals as a result of shifting network preferences.
Gatchalian emphasized that similar pieces of legislation were adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide.
China Telecoms has been endorsed by the Chinese government to invest in the Philippines’ multi-billion telecommunications industry during the bilateral talks President Duterte had with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang last month.
Malacañang has directed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission to expedite the approval of necessary licenses and permits within seven days upon receipt or completion of requirements.