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House oks franchise of telco<br>
MANILA, Nov 08, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) --
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a proposed measure, which seeks to enhance the country's global competitiveness in telecommunications services.
House Bill no. 3040 authored by Reps. Hermilando Mandanas (2nd District, Batangas) and Ferjenel Biron (4th District, Iloilo) grants the Convergence Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. (CICTSI) a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain telecommunications systems throughout the country.
Mandanas, chairman of the House Committee on Southern Tagalog Development, said the CICTSI intends to do its share in improving and augmenting the present telecommunications system in the country by availing of state-of-the-art and appropriate technologies that would allow the most effective and efficient delivery of its services to many Filipinos especially those in the countryside.
Telecommunications is as vital as the country's natural resources. "For the country to cope with the growing demand for such services, we must open new doors to promote the upliftment and improvement of our present telecommunications system," he said.
"Telecommunications services provide a unifying, uplifting and democratizing force for a country like the Philippines with a widely dispersed population and an uneven level of development," he added.
Under the measure, the CICTSI shall establish, operate and maintain for commercial purposes and in the public interest, throughout the country and between the Philippines and other countries, wireless telecommunications systems including mobiles, cellulars, pagers, fiber optics, multi-channel multi-point distribution system (MMDS), local multi-point distribution system (LMDS), satellite transmit-and-receive systems and other value-added services of telecommunications systems technologies that are convenient or essential to efficiently carry out the purpose of the said franchise.
HB 3040 also provides that the manner of operation of CICTSI stations or facilities will result only in the minimum interference on the wavelengths or frequencies of existing stations or other stations which may be established by law.
The CICTSI should also conform to the ethics of honest enterprise and not use its stations or facilities for obscene or indecent transmission, or for the dissemination of deliberately false information, or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.
Mandanas, said the bill, which has been pending with the Committee on Legislative Franchises since November 14, 2007, will enable the Philippines -- touted as the texting capital of the world -- to be more competitive and cope up with the growing demand for telecommunications services.(PNA)<br> LBV/LGI
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