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Regulator will revoke permission for PLDT, Globe Telecom to take over San Miguel spectrum if they fail to improve Internet services within a year.
The Philippines’ telecom regulator may force the country’s two main operators to cede their newly-acquired mobile spectrum if they fail to up their game when it comes to Internet speeds, it emerged this week.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is tackling chronically slow Internet speeds in a bid to bring the Philippines into line with neighbouring markets like Malaysia and Singapore, Reuters reported on Thursday.
NTC deputy commissioner Edgardo Cabarios told the newswire that PLDT and Globe Telecom have one year to improve the services they offer or face losing the new spectrum they acquired by agreeing to take over San Miguel Corporation’s telecom assets earlier this week.
The NTC has approved the spectrum takeover, but said it will revoke its permission if speeds do not improve.
San Miguel Corporation agreed to sell its assets to the two telcos for 52.85 billion pesos (€1.02 billion) following the failure of an attempt to create a mobile joint venture in the Philippines with Australia’s Telstra.
Those assets include various subsidiary companies that hold spectrum in the 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 2.5 GHz, and 3.5 GHz bands.
The CEOs of both operators issued statements at the time in which they pledged to use the airwaves to improve service quality and network coverage.
