NTC declares Mislatel as the new major telecoms player

Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc., a consortium composed of Udenna Corp., Chelsea Logistics Corp. and China Telecommunications Corp., has been declared by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) en banc as the third major telecommunications company of the country.

The group has a period of 90 days to submit to the NTC the documents and Performance Security for the issuance of its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN).

“As we reached the end of the tunnel of this NMP search, the ball is now on Mislatel’s court to deliver on their promise,” said Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr.

In its Highest Committed Level of Service (HCLoS) bid, Mislatel vows to deliver 27 Mbps of minimum average broadband speed on its first year before zooming to 55 Mbps in the next four years. Mislatel has also devoted to service 84.01% of the population before the end of its five-year commitment period.

NTC can forfeit Mislatel’s performance security of around 25 billion pesos and recall the awarded frequencies should it found a breach in any of its commitments.

With this, Rio expects Mislatel to tap existing small players to meet their own promises.

“One of the best ways Mislatel can comply with its commitments is to use all existing facilities and services of the other small players,” said Rio. “The NMP will spur business for small telcos and last mile links like CATV operators.”

Achieving success through partnerships  

After being conferred the New Major Player (NMP) status by the NTC, Mislatel issued a press release stating that improved telecommunications services for Filipinos will only succeed through the combined endeavors of all industry stakeholders, including other telco companies. 

“Better telecommunications services for Filipinos will only succeed if all our stakeholders – national government, LGUs, civil society groups, and even private industries, and even our competitors – will work with us to achieve the common goals of better, cheaper, and more widely available telecommunications. In fact, even telco players that did not win the bid or decided not to bid, such as PT&T, Converge, etc. can partner with us and we can use their existing telecommunications facilities for a faster roll-out,” said Mislatel Consortium spokesperson Atty. Adel Tamano. 

“Furthermore, we emphasize our long-standing view that in order to make this venture a success, we will make other players, such as the regional telecommunications companies, cable operators, and broadband providers, our partners. This will create jobs and business opportunities that will not only improve the telecommunications sector but will boost the economy as a whole. We aim to be a positive force in the telecommunications industry and for the country as a whole,” Atty. Tamano said further. 

In keeping with the requirements indicated in the bid Terms of Reference, Mislatel Consortium is committed to deliver in improving the country’s telecommunications capability within five years, increasing basic internet speed to 55mbps, and cover more than 80% of the country’s population, to bring a better telecommunications experience for all Filipinos. 

Atty. Tamano stated that the journey towards improving the telco services in the country is long overdue. “Filipinos have waited long enough for this,” he said. 

“Better telecommunications services for Filipinos will only succeed if all our stakeholders – national government, LGUs, civil society groups, and even private industries, and even our competitors – will work with us to achieve the common goals of better, cheaper, and more widely available telecommunications. In fact, even telco players that did not win the bid or decided not to bid, such as PT&T, Converge, etc. can partner with us and we can use their existing telecommunications facilities for a faster roll-out,” said Atty. Tamano. 

“Furthermore, we emphasize our long-standing view that in order to make this venture a success, we will make other players, such as the regional telecommunications companies, cable operators, and broadband providers, our partners. This will create jobs and business opportunities that will not only improve the telecommunications sector but will boost the economy as a whole. We aim to be a positive force in the telecommunications industry and for the country as a whole,” Atty. Tamano said further. 

In keeping with the requirements indicated in the bid Terms of Reference, Mislatel is committed to deliver in improving the country’s telecommunications capability within five years, increasing basic internet speed to 55mbps, and cover more than 80% of the country’s population, to bring a better telecommunications experience for all Filipinos. 

Atty. Tamano stated that the journey towards improving the telco services in the country is long overdue. “Filipinos have waited long enough for this,” he said. 

Sole bidder

Mislatel was the sole bidder for the country’s third major telecommunications player after rivals Sear Telecom and PT&T were disqualified due to incomplete requirements.

The Sear Telecom group, composed of LCS Group, TierOne Communications, Fujian Torch, Miller LTE, and SEATel, did not submit the required participation security while PT&T failed to submit the Certification of Technical Capability, according to the Selection Committee. Both groups, however, will file a Motion for Reconsideration.

Udenna is the holding company of Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy. Among its subsidiaries is Chelsea Logistics Corp.

NOW Corp. and Converge ICT Solutions withdrew from the bid and thus did not submit their respective proposals prior to the Opening and Evaluation of Selection Documents for New Major Player which began at 10am on Nov. 7, 2018 at the National Telecommunications Commission.