Best service over highest bidder for 3rd telco — DICT

MANILA, Philippines — Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has prevailed in his bid to select the new telecommunications (telco) player based on the group that can submit the highest committed level of service (HCLOS).

In a press briefing Rio gave last night right after emerging from a meeting of the Cabinet oversight committee formed for the selection of a third telco, the department announced that a consensus has been reached to choose the draft terms of reference (TOR) to lay down the HCLOS for the third telco.

“Wala na yung auction (No more auction). It will be the (highest) committed level of service,” Rio said when asked to reveal the vote at the meeting.

The oversight committee, chaired by Rio as head of the DICT, with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as members, held the meeting to vote on the two draft TORs – one laying down an auction where the selection will offer to pay the highest price to buy the frequencies necessary for a third telco to operate in the country, and the other for a choice based on the HCLOS.

Rio has been vocal in pushing for the HCLOS mode of selecting the third telco, contradicting the position of Dominguez who, in turn, has been openly expressing his preference for holding an auction where the group that will offer the highest price for frequencies will be the winner.