3RD TELCO OFFERS MORE OPTIONS FOR CONSUMERS

Third telecommunications player, Mislatel Consortium, will broaden the choice available for both consumers and businesses

With the entry of the third telecommunications provider in the country, more options are now available for Dabawenyo consumers, a business leader said.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Incorporated (DCCCII) vice president John Carlo B. Tria said through a text message that the third telco player will broaden the choice available for consumers and businesses.

National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) revealed on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, the Mislatel Consortium as the third provisional new major player (NMP) after Mislatel underwent assessment done by NTC.

Mislatel was able to earn the final bid rating of 456.80 points.

Other bidders like Sears Telecoms-Tier-One Communications, which includes the LCS Group of Companies of Ilocos businessman and politician Luis “Chavit” Singson was disqualified for failure to submit P700-million participation security.

The Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (PT&T) was also disqualified for failure to submit the Certification of Technical Capability to the NTC.

Mislatel is a partnership between Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. and China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom).

The consortium promised to provide 5 megabits per second (mbps) internet speed and 55 mbps maximum for the next five years.

“I personally hope that they complete the post qualification process, and start implementation immediately,” Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-Davao president and lawyer Samuel Matunog said in a text message.

For instance, in the Philippines, high prices of electricity and fuel are a huge barrier [to foreign investments], not to mention our current situation of a higher-thanexpected inflation rate.

DR. JAMIL PAOLO FRANCISCO