Bid submission for 3rd telco player moved to May 2018

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has moved the date for the submission of bids for the selection of a new major telco player to May from March amid requests from interested parties.

“The request is coming from the contenders themselves. If we force the end of March deadline, there might not be any bidders,” DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio Jr. said.

Based on the revised timeline from the DICT, the new bids submission date is on May 18.

According to the timeline presented by the DICT during the preliminary conference on the selection process for the new telco player held last month, the government will accept bid documents from participants on March 27, and by April 2, the new telco player should be entering the market.

Earlier this month, Rio said the selection of the third telco player may go beyond the March deadline set by President Duterte, to make up for non-working days.

There are also non-working days in March such as Maundy Thursday on March 29, and Good Friday on March 30.

The DICT has earlier asked Duterte to extend the March deadline for the submission of bids for the selection of a third telco player up to May, as stakeholders see the schedule as too tight.

Rio has said three groups led by firms Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp., NOW Corp., and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. are expected by DICT to participate in the selection process of a new telco player.

Under the guidelines issued for the selection process, the group with the highest committed investment for the first five years will be chosen and given frequencies to be able to compete with PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc.

Rio said the third telco player would need to invest at least up to $4 billion in the next five years.

The final memorandum circular for the terms of reference for the assignment of new frequencies to the new telco player are targeted to be released by Feb. 19.

Duterte wants a new telco player to enter the market to allow consumers to benefit in terms of having an additional choice and improved services.