THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will move to May the deadline for submitting applications to become the telecommunication industry’s “third player.”

DICT Officer-in-Charge Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. said in a social media post that bid submissions deadline is scheduled for May 18, pushed back from the original timetable of March in order to attract more investors.

The Memorandum Circular on the bidding process will be issued on March 21, with April 5 as the effectivity date, he said.

Public consultations and hearings will be conducted on Feb. 27 and March 6.

“The request is coming from the contenders themselves. If we force the end of March deadline, there might not be any bidders,” Mr. Rio told reporters in a message, when asked about the rescheduling.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has rejected a request by the DICT for more time beyond March to select a third player, Palace Spokesperson Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said earlier this month.

Interested parties have noted the lack of time to prepare for the selection process.

Basic requirements for the third telco are a congressional franchise for fixed-line and mobile service, a commitment of P60 billion annually for five years, or P300 billion, and no affiliation with the incumbents, PLDT, Inc. or Globe Telecom, Inc.

The third player will be awarded a block of frequencies not currently committed.

Mr. Rio said that there are about three consortia with local telco partners seeking to be named the third player.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

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