Anti-trust body PCC to take time to assess spectrum needs of third operator

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) says it will need more time to assess how much frequency is actually needed to adequately support the entry of a third telecoms player in the country. A report from InterAksyon cites a document published by the PCC Mergers and Acquisition Office (MAO) regarding PLDT and Globe Telecom’s multi-billion peso acquisition of the telecoms assets of San Miguel Corp, which the agency notes ‘will leave a limited amount of spectrum to a potential third player’. The PCC’s initial suspicions seemingly support wider concerns that ‘the amount of available spectrum post-transaction may not be sufficient for a new player to exert competitive pressure on PLDT and Globe’, although it stops short of pinpointing exactly how much spectrum will be required, saying it needs more time to conduct research and consultations.