Unused spectrum enough for 4th telecom player

THE GOVERNMENT warned it could take back the rights to unused frequencies after publishing a list of all assigned spectrum assets and their utilization, saying that the potential haul could accommodate a third or even a fourth telecommunications player.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology ( DICT) said the publication of the list is intended to free idle frequency to attract other players in the telecommunications industry.

“We published it, it’s a warning … frequencies — assigned, not used, not paid, if it’s in the warehouse, we’ll take it back, we’ll give them a chance to air their side if they don’t have a valid reason, we’ll take them back, recall,” DICT Secretary Rodolfo A. Salalima told reporters during the pre- media briefing for the first Philippine Telecommunications Summit yesterday.

“If you’ve been holding it for an unreasonable time, or you are holding it without using it, or you are using it without paying for it, then we’ll take it back, but we have recall procedures,” the DICT Secretary, who is a former Globe Telecom executive, said.

Based on data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) the unused frequencies are held by Sears Telecoms (410 MHz); Teodoro N. Romasanta, Inc.(TNRI) and Twilight (700 MHz); RBC, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, Uniden Philippines, Inc., Liberty Broadcasting Network, Inc. (LBNI), Worldwide Comms., Inc., (800 MHz) and Bayantel (2500 MHz);

Easy Call Communications Philippines, Inc.; AZ Comm; Multimedia Telephony, Inc., Broadband Everywhere Corp.; and Radio Marine Network, Inc. (3400 MHz); and TN Rosanna and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) (10 Gigahertz).

The NTC data further showed that Sears, MMDA, TNRI, Trilight, RBC, Uniden, LBNI, Worldwide Comms., Inc., have unpaid spectrum user fees.

DICT and NTC’s move to bare the list of assigned frequencies — used, unused — is also meant to address speculation surrounding the control of frequencies.

“We plan to take frequencies back because some illegitimate telcos are speculating, using the spectrum for buy and sell. There is speculation some parties are tucking the frequencies away (for flipping later) so what we did, we put (the list) out,” Mr. Salalima added.

DICT Undersecretary Jorge V. Sarmiento for his part said after the release of the NTC data that there is still enough spectrum for a third or even a fourth telecom player.

“The reason we published the list is, people are saying here is no frequency for a third or even a fourth new player, but when we came out ( with the list) we discovered it was possible,” Mr. Sarmiento added.

The DICT Secretary has said that his department will inventory all existing spectrum, to be categorized by availability and subjected to reassignment if found to be underutilized.

“What I told NTC, when you give spectrum to a possible third and fourth player, give them what they need suff icient for the first year of operation, reserve the others if there’s new demand, then give them more; not give them a lot that will go unused … we want to give the frequency to the earnest ones,” Mr. Salalima said.

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba said in November that the agency is targeting an auction of unused and unassigned frequencies by mid-2017 — offering them in one bundle — as the regulator moves to attract a third player to the telecommunications industry.

The NTC chief said then that there is demand for the unassigned frequencies with more participants “interested to become the third player.”