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By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter
THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)
plans a mandatory interconnection of backhaul networks to all cable
landing stations of telecom companies to bring down the service
rates in the country.
In a draft circular, the NTC said the opening of
backhaul network services to other suppliers will bring down the
prices to market levels to the benefit of the consumers.
At present, the cable landing stations are
connected to the national networks through the backhaul facilities
of the operator of the cable landing stations. The stations of
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Digital Telecommunications
Phils. Inc. (Digitel) and Globe Telecom Inc. are connected
separately through their own backhaul facilities.
“Since the backhaul networks are necessary to
bring the traffic to and from the international optical submarine
cable systems, the cost of the backhaul networks is part of the
prices of international circuits,” the NTC said.
With this, the regulator said the
interconnection of backhaul networks to all cable landing stations
should be mandatory.
“Each backhaul network operator shall provide
the trunks/circuits necessary to interconnect its backhaul network
to the cable landing stations,” the draft order said, adding that
each operator should ensure that the number of trunks/circuits is
sufficient to meet at least the minimum prescribed grade of service.
The draft circular further said that an operator
of a cable landing station should provide sufficient space within
its premises and terminating equipment to interconnect the backhaul
networks to the international optical cable systems.
“If interconnection would require the
installation of radio equipment, the radio equipment shall [be]
provided by the backhaul network providers. The cable landing
station operator shall provide the required space and termination
equipment,” the circular said.
The NTC added that the cable landing station
operators and the backhaul network providers should negotiate the
terms and conditions, technical and commercial terms of access to
the cable landing station.
If the parties fail to arrive at an agreement
after ninety days, the NTC said it would intervene.
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