(Eagle News) — Four other companies are vying to become the third telecommunications player in the country, an official of the Department of Information and Communications Technology said.
According to DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio Jr., the companies from Japan, South Korea, US, and Australia’s Telstra Corp. Ltd. are interested in partnering with local firms for the possible venture.
They are apart from China Telecom, which was earlier reported to have been chosen as the third player.
“Right now, there is an offer from a Chinese company. In the same manner, there are offers from Japanese, South Korean, US companies and Australia,” Rio said, disputing earlier pronouncements that the Chinese company had already been chosen.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said a third telecommunications player was needed to break the “duopoly” in the country.
He said he wanted the third player to be “up and about” by the first quarter of 2018.
