Government should invest more in telco infrastructure – NTC

MANILA, Philippines - The government should invest more in telco infrastructure to help telecommunication companies to perform more efficiently, an official of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said.

NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said of the three options being considered for the national broadband plan, the option allowing the government build infrastructure leasable to the telcos seems to be the most viable choice.

This option, which requires an investment of up to P199 billion, indicated that the government should build infrastructure, including fiber optic cables, which telcos could lease in order to provide services to far-flung areas.

Another option for the broadband plan involves a P30 billion public spending for physical infrastructure in the countryside, while the last option involves the government competing as a third party operator.

“In the long run, it seems the second option is better. Because for the second option, government will really pour in millions of funds, without necessarily competing with the private sector,” Cabarios said.

“They should be complementary. Anywhere in the world, (the government) is not a competitor, it’s an enabler, assisting in the development to bring costs down,” he said.

A national broadband plan is being looked into by the Duterte administration as it plans to promote greater access to internet services in the country.

According to Cabarios, the plan is still currently being discussed and would be presented both to the government and the private sector.

“What’s important is the government invests. We started with the free Wi-Fi, which is a demand subsidy that increases traffic,” he said.