Duterte to 3rd telco: Provide fast internet

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has challenged the third telecommunications player to provide fast and reliable service as he assured the public that there was no corruption in the selection process. ?

Duterte said Dito Telecommunity Corp., which was declared the new telco player last November, should just do its work according to the requirements of the government. ?

“We also paved the way for the entry of third telecommunications provider. Do not worry about this. There is no corruption at all. I guarantee you, upon the grave of my father. I do not allow – I do not talk to them,” Duterte said during his fourth State of the Nation Address last Monday. ?

“I challenge this new player to fulfill its commitment to provide fast and reliable telecommunication services to our people, especially in the underserved areas,” he added. ?

Duterte said Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan would lead efforts in ensuring that Dito would provide quality service. ?

Two years ago, Duterte ordered agencies to facilitate the entry of a third telecommunications player to enhance the quality of services and strengthen competition in the sector. Mislatel, a consortium composed of Udenna Corp., its subsidiary Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. and China Telecommunications Corp., was declared the new telecommunications player late last year. ?

Udenna is owned by Dennis Uy, a Davao-based businessman and a major campaign donor of Duterte.

Officials have claimed Uy’s relationship with Duterte did not influence the outcome of the bidding.

Mislatel has rebranded as Dito Telecommunity Corp. to invite consumers to join the network. ?

The consortium has vowed to invest P257 billion to increase basic internet speed to 55 mbps and cover 84 percent of the Philippine population over a five-year period. ?