Business Mirror in the Philippines writes that the country’s New Major Player (NMP) in waiting, Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company (Mislatel), should be granted its confirmation order today (19 November), upon which it will have three months to complete all necessary permits, licences and securities before being officially awarded the third telco licence and accompanying frequencies.
According to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Eliseo M. Rio Jr., the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is widely expected to confirm Mislatel’s NMP selection today, as per the timeline set in the terms of reference (ToR) for the ‘third telco’ search. ‘They will be given the confirmation order, then they will have to go through the post-qualification process,’ he said. ‘It means that from being provisional, Mislatel now becomes the new major player.’ Rio also said the post-qualification process involves: forming the official company through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); winning requisite approvals from the Philippine Competition Commission and the National Economic and Development Authority; and posting the performance bond, which, in Mislatel’s case, is PHP25.7 billion (USD489,467). ‘Only then can we give them the certificate of public convenience and necessity and the frequencies for them to operate. They will be given a maximum of 90 days to finish this,’ the DICT official added.
Mislatel is the joint venture of China Telecom and Davao tycoon Dennis Uy.