DICT: 3 foreign telcos may enter Phl market

Three foreign firms have expressed interest in entering the Philippine telco industry, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said, as the government and other stakeholders work on the implementing rules of the Konektadong Pinoy law expected to be released next month.

- ALEXIS ROMERO

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the three foreign companies and several local firms are coming together to help the administration achieve its goal to make connectivity affordable to Filipinos.

“There are (interested foreign companies), perhaps three huge ones, but I will not name them because we do not want to preempt them. But there are several local firms. What is good there, anywhere from an LGU (local government unit) who wants to serve (its) locality better to private companies that are in the Philippines already, all of them are coming together to participate in Konektadong Pinoy,” Aguda said at a Palace press briefing yesterday.

He said “more than a dozen” local companies are eyeing to participate in the industry, but the number is expected to increase further once the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) are completed.