DITO says it’s on track for March 2021 commercial launch despite technical audit extension

Third telco player DITO Telecommunity Corp. on Friday said it is on track to have its commercial launch or the onboarding of subscribers by March 2021 despite being given an extension to satisfy its commitment to the government, which it earlier said will be unlikely met on the July 8 deadline.

“We are moving heaven and earth to make that happen,” DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano told reporters in a virtual press conference.

“We will make our services available. If not earlier, the March 2021 date, that is the latest,” he said.

Tamano made the statement after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) extended the July technical audit on DITO due to the delay caused by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Under the current extension, DITO is given within six months to deliver the commitments for the technical audit requirements- that is to provide a speed of 27 megabits per second to cover 37% percent of the population, which is supposed to be on July 8.

According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology, most of the scheduled material supplies from China such as fiber cables, DC containers, base stations, towers, and telecom ancillaries failed to arrive as scheduled causing delays in the company’s roll-out.

Under the provisions of the DITO’s Certificate of Public Convenience and  Necessity, the company must meet its voluntary commitments every year for the first five years of operations, else lose its P24 billion performance bond.

To achieve a 37% network coverage, DITO committed to put up a total of 1,300 cellular towers across the country.

On Wednesday, DITO said it has 1,300 towers in construction, but only 300 of which are already live, giving difficulty to meet the July 8 deadline.

During the virtual briefing, DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said the 300 active towers or cell sites cover 9% of the population.

“The population coverage of 37 percent, we can achieve that late October,” Santiago said.

“Two weeks from now, ‘yung 300 na 'yung they will become 500... everyday we start construction in several sites,” he said.

Santiago explained that construction was also affected by work stoppage amid the enhanced community quarantine, but since restrictions are easing the company can fast-track the network build up.

Metro Manila and other "high-risk" areas were placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 17 to May 15, followed by a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 31.

A general community quarantine (GCQ) was put in place from June 1 to 15, and has since been extended until July 15.

DITO, formerly Mislatel Consortium, was awarded its permit to operate as the third telecommunications player of the country on July 8, 2019.

The consortium is made up of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation, Udenna's subsidiary Chelsea Logistics Holdings Inc., and Chinese state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation. — RSJ, GMA News