SOME FOREIGN PLAYERS have also signified their interest in helping craft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.
“New players are welcome to submit their white paper. I receive white papers left and right. I think it is appropriate to say that current operating telcos have a stronger say. There are foreign telcos who have expressed their interest in helping out in the IRR, but they are limited in submitting their white paper,” DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda told Money Talks with Cathy Yang on One News on Monday.
Mr. Aguda did not identify the foreign players, but he said that Elon Musk’s Starlink is one of them.
“There is Starlink because they operate in the country now even without Konektadong Pinoy,” he said, noting that Starlink has provided its suggestions on how to accelerate connectivity in the country.
PLDT Inc. and Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. have previously indicated their readiness to take part in drafting the IRR of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, also referred to as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act.
The DICT said it will convene stakeholders for the drafting of the IRR, which it aims to finalize within 60 to 90 days.
“DICT and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) have already completed our legal work to ensure that when we draft the IRR, all stakeholders are involved. And I personally reach out to the large telcos, their CEOs, and the chamber to ensure they’re welcome to participate in the IRR,” he said.
Meanwhile, Globe Telecom, Inc. has expressed its concerns over the measure lapsing into law.
“By not signing it, Malacañang is taking a neutral stance on the Konektadong Pinoy Act. We shall work with the government on how we can improve the standards in the industry to safeguard the public,” Globe General Counsel Froilan M. Castelo, who is also the president of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO), said in a statement on Tuesday.
The listed telecommunications company said that while the Konektadong Pinoy Act aims to broaden digital access, its current form presents grave threats to the industry.
“Its current form poses grave risks that include weakening cybersecurity, undermining national safeguards, and unsettling an industry that is vital to the country’s economy and overall national security,” Globe said.
Globe said that the law contains loopholes, particularly in the vetting of new market entrants, which further heightens the risk of “inadequately screened operators” being allowed to gain access to critical infrastructure.
“The law also permits the unregulated use of spectrum by satellite operators. This risks placing the Philippines in breach of its international treaty obligations and, more seriously, invites harmful interference with frequencies used by the country’s defense and disaster-response agencies,” Globe said.
Globe also said that the passage of Konektadong Pinoy into law brings both risks and opportunities.
The Ayala-led telecommunications company also said that because the law removed the Congressional franchise requirement, it discards a long-established safeguard of oversight.
“The absence of such checks undermines regulatory integrity and may unsettle the investment climate. Existing operators that have built networks under strict requirements should not be exposed to unfair competition from newcomers exempt from these same obligations. Investor confidence, built over decades, must not be eroded by uncertainty,” Globe said.
Business groups, including the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC), EU-ASEAN Business Council (EUABC), IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), have voiced their backing for the Konektadong Pinoy Act, highlighting that its enactment into law would enhance internet access nationwide and strengthen the Philippines’ economic competitiveness.
“We also believe the law’s success will depend on the development of implementing rules and regulations that protect the free and seamless flow of data across borders. This approach will ensure that businesses are able to innovate and scale globally, allowing the Philippines to fully harness the digital economy’s potential,” they said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose