NOW Telecom not yet PH’s fourth telco — DICT

DICT Sec. Gringo Honasan. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — NOW Telecom Company Inc. is not yet considered as the country’s fourth telco, Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said Tuesday.

“‘Yung NOW po, hindi po. From where we see it, after further inquiry hindi pa po ‘yun fourth telco,” Honasan said in response to Senator Imee Marcos when she asked, during a Senate hearing, if NOW Telecom can already be considered the country’s fourth telco player.

(NOW Telecom is not yet the fourth telco. From where we see it, after further inquiry, it’s not yet the fourth telco.)

“Actually, there are about 40 telcos in the country. ‘Yung maliliit po, nagcoconsolidate na, so technically we have more than three telcos and this is a good sign dahil itong maliliit, nakalatag na po sila nationwide,”

(Actually there are about 40 telcos in the country. Technically we have more than three telcos and this is a good sign because these smaller telcos are positioned across the country.)

Earlier, the National Telecommunications Commission has extended a provisional authority for NOW Telecom Company Inc., the telecom affiliate of NOW Corporation, to install, operate, and maintain a nationwide mobile telecommunications system.

NOW Telecom Corp. earlier said its telco unit is one of the four firms with cellular mobile telephone service licenses in the country, alongside SMART, Globe, and DITO.

JPV