PT&T joins third telco race, accepts NTC rules

PHILIPPINE Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (PT&T) has joined the roster of third telco bidders as it purchased the required documents on Wednesday.

In a statement, the firm said it had paid a non-refundable P1 million for the selection documents, which President and CEO James Velasquez called “acceptable” and “consistent” with the selection process presented by regulators.

“We have downloaded the bid documents as soon as it was made available and have reviewed it thoroughly. As it stands, they are acceptable to us,” Velasquez was quoted as saying in the statement.

His remarks follow rival NOW Telecom Co., Inc.’s lawsuit against the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) over certain provisions said to be “onerous, confiscatory and potentially extortionary.”

The PT&T executive also claimed to be the only homegrown company that could meet with the requirements.

“We have bought the bid documents and we are confident our chances are strong ... we have over 50 years of telecommunications experience servicing the Filipino people,” Velasquez said.

The firm said it had 10,000 kilometers of pure fiber optic cables servicing large corporations, small businesses and households across the Greater Manila Area and Northern and Southern Luzon.

“Our focus on the fixed broadband business has led to significant growth. The future is bright for PT&T and we expect continued growth as we capture more opportunities in this space,” Velasquez said.