Globe backs reassessment of spectrum fees

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. is supporting moves to reassess spectrum fees being paid by telecommunication companies to the national government.

In a statement, Globe lauded the recent unanimous approval at the House of Representatives of House Bill 9851, or the Zero Spectrum User Fee for Telcos Using WiFi Act, which aims to reduce to zero the spectrum user fees (SUF) paid by telcos.

Reducing the SUFs levied on telco firms is expected to help broaden the public’s access to WiFi technology, and eventually lower the cost of telecoms services for the public.

The bill mandates the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to effectively establish the zero SUF policy and regulation by not imposing charges, or collecting fees from telcos for using WiFi or wireless data networks.

“We have been actively pursuing the lowering of spectrum user fees with the NTC and Congress, since we believe that telecommunications is now an essential service that should be made more affordable for users,” Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said.

Castelo said the  reduction of the SUF would allow telcos to divert essential resources to much needed network builds, instead of paying expensive fees.