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The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has
issued a provisionary authority to Telecommunications Technologies
Philippines Inc. (TTPI) to operate telecom services in areas in
Southern Luzon.
In an order, the regulator said
it has found that TTPI to be legally, financially and technically
qualified to install, operate and maintain local exchange carrier
services in the provinces of Rizal, Quezon, Batangas, Cavite and
Laguna.
Its parent firm, Eastern
Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (ETPI), will support the
proposed project.
“Upon checking of the present
financial status of ETPI, it shows that they can still adequately
fund the proposed application,” the NTC said.
Currently, ETPI’s present debt
to equity ratio is 17 percent and 83 percent, showing much better
financial position, the regulator added.
TTPI plans to charge a monthly
service fee of P560.64 and P1,265 for residential and business
subscribers, respectively.
For landline to cellphone calls,
the company will charge P11 per minute and P0.50 for Internet dial
up access per minute.
International call costs will be
between $0.14 and $0.20 per minute.
Earlier, TTPI obtained an
authority from NTC to offer fixed line services in the Greater
Manila Area, particularly in prime commercial areas. TTPI’s
authority to operate covers Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Quezon,
Pasay, Parañaque, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Marikina,
Antipolo and the towns of San Juan, Malabon, Pateros, Valenzuela and
San Pedro in Laguna.
TTPI plans to spend about
$981,814 to fund the rollout over a three-year period.
The company will deploy 56,000
lines in the chartered cities and municipalities in the covered
areas within the same period.
The company said it would charge
P560.64 for residential subscribers.
--Darwin G. Amojelar
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