Four foreign firms vie for 3rd telco slot
Four foreign firms are vying to become the Philippines third telecommunications player. The government plans on revealing the winning bidder next month. Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said the firms vying for the slot are China Telecom, Norway’s Telenor, Austria’s Mobitel, and South Korea’s Koreatel. Rio said each of the firms are bigger than the Philippines’ telco giants Smart PLDT and Globe. He added that other interested bidders are allowed to join until November 7th, which is when the bid documents will be opened. The winning bidder will also be announced on that day. The third player will be picked based on these criteria – high level of service, and financial and technical capability. President Rodrigo Duterte wants a third telco player that will compete with giants PLDT and Globe to provide Filipinos with better services at lower costs.
