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GLOBE Telecom Inc. wants the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to permanently bar Philippine
Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T) from offering telecom
services using the frequencies allocated the petitioner’s 3G
(third generation) technology.
“Not having any valid license
to operate, PT&T must perforce be ordered to cease and desist
from using frequencies allocated for 3G technology, particularly
those assigned to Globe to prevent further harmful effects of
interference,” Globe said in a submission to the NTC.
Since PT&T has no license to
use frequencies, Globe said, [its rival] “cannot offer various
telecommunications services.”
Globe said it discovered that a
substantial number of radio stations owned and operated by PT&T
were transmitting radio signals at a frequency of 1945.5 megahertz,
or within that assigned to Globe.
Despite an NTC directive,
ordering PT&T to refrain from operating its radio stations, the
company continued and still continues to operate its radio stations
using the 3G frequency bands of Globe, the Ayala family-led telco
said.
This prompted the NTC to issue a
show cause order and a cease and desist order against PT&T on
October 26.
PT&T filed a motion to lift
the order and on its pleading admitted that it does not have any
license to operate using those frequencies. The company is using the
radio stations at the 1900 megahertz 3G and Broadband Wireless
Access bands.
PT&T however said that its
existing subscribers will suffer “financial losses and ruin”
should a permanent order barring it were issued.
Globe, however, said it “is the
look out of every carrier that its subscribers are served in
accordance with the law, rules and regulations.”
“It is perplexing why PT&T,
despite its concern for its subscribers, just stood by doing nothing
to have its operations relocated to other frequency bands as
prudence, circumstances and necessity dictate. Now, it is taking to
task Globe to perform what is supposed to have done years back,”
Globe said.
Without a valid license,
PT&T, according to Globe, has no obligation to negotiate with it
for the cost of its relocation.
--Darwin G. Amojelar
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