BACOLOD CITY — An official of the National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) based in this city has welcomed the proposed entry of a third telecommunications carrier.
NICP trustee Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, who is the executive director of Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for ICT (BNEFIT), said Wednesday that if that pushes through, such development would boost the initiative to create “digital cities” around the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte has offered China the privilege to operate the third telecom carrier in the Philippines during his recent bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in a bid to provide an “efficient” telecom service in the country.
This is a positive development and good news for ICT industry, said Batapa-Sigue, a former president of the NICP.
“It is a welcome development to the overall aspiration of the national government to create digital cities through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT),” she said.
Moreover, Batapa-Sigue said that stronger and stable connectivity especially in the countryside would create greater opportunities for the industry since the development of “digital cities” would hugely rely on efficient internet connectivity.
“It will pave way to creation of more jobs and investments,” she added.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had earlier said the investment venture with China would break the “duopoly” in the telecommunications industry dominated by Globe Telecom and PLDT Inc.
The Philippines’ data and voice services was reportedly among Asia-Pacific’s slowest and most intermittent. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
