DICT to name 'provisional' 3rd telco player on Nov. 7

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Saturday a "provisional" third telco player player who will challenge the so-called duopoly of Globe and PLDT will be named on November 7—the deadline for the submission of bids for aspirants.

DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. told GMA News Online on Saturday that the winning bidder to be named on November 7 is "just provisional."

Rio said the winner to be named on the said date will still undergo a post qualification process, wherein the DICT and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will verify their documents.

"This means that the contender with the highest committed level of service must still prove that all documents it submitted in its commitments are accurate, and that it must be able to form its committed organizational structure within 90 days," he said.

The DICT chief noted that the selection process will be aided by a computer program and no person can influence the selection process.

"It is the participants who will input their commitments during the opening of bids then their scores based on their commitments will be automatically computed... Walang human intervention sa computation," Rio said.

The DICT will be using the highest committed level of service in selecting the third telco player based on three major criteria: national coverage (40 percent), internet speed (25 percent), and capital expenditures (35 percent).

In a separate statement, the NTC said it will be ready to receive bids on November 5 and 6 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on November 7 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

"Opening of bids will immediately follow after the 10 a.m. deadline on November 7," the NTC said.

"The opening of bids on November 7 will be streamed live via DICT's Facebook page," it added.

So far, at least 10 companies have bought selection documents from the NTC, namely China Telecom, Philippine Telegraph and Telephone, Now Telecom, Telenor ASA Group, Udenna Corp., LCS Group of Companies and TierOne, Mobitel Holdings GmbH, Converge ICT, AMA Telecommunications, and an undisclosed bidder. —KG/MDM, GMA News