SENATOR Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV said the open access in data transmission bill still has a chance to be passed in the Senate before the 17th Congress ends if the committee on science and technology addresses the concerns of some senators on the proposed measure.
Committee chair Mr. Aquino said senators have raised queries “ranging from infrastructure to competition issues” on the proposed measure.
He said he will push for a consolidated bill in the next Congress if the Senate fails to pass the measure before 17th Congress adjournment.
“Our offices are currently seeing if the current version can address their concerns. If we come to agreement, this still has a chance to get passed in January,” he said in a text message to BusinessWorld on Friday.
“If not, we will push for a consolidated version come July,” he added.
The bill seeks to lift the barriers to entry in the data transmission industry by removing various requirements, such as the certificate of public convenience and provisional authority from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), as well as the congressional franchise, for entering the industry.
It divides the industry into four segments: the international gateway which connects to the Internet using the international submarine cables from various countries; the core or backbone network which distributes the data from international cables to Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; the middle mile which connects to various provinces; and the last mile which delivers Internet services to end-users.
Mr. Aquino has said the passage of the bill will attract more entrants, which will then help drive prices down and improve the country’s Internet quality.
The bill was awaiting second-reading approval in the Senate while its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives, House Bill No. 6557, was approved on third and final reading on Nov. 21, 2017.
It has been identified by the Legislative Executive Development Council (LEDAC) as a priority measure.
Foreign business groups have been calling for several proposed measures filed in Congress, including the Open Access in Data Transmission bill, that will remove foreign investment limits in the telecommunications industry.
The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines have also urged Congress to prioritize the passage of the bill as well as amendments to the Public Services Act, Foreign Investment Act, and Retail Trade Act before the 17th Congress ends. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
