‘Konektadong Pinoy favors satellite firms’

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

June 24, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s biggest telcos – whose investments are largely on terrestrial assets – have warned that the Philippines would become the only country in the world that would soon permit satellite providers to come in without checks.

In a statement, the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) called on President Marcos again to think twice before signing the Konektadong Pinoy Act into law.

The PCTO said the measure meant to foster competition in the telco industry may end up doing the opposite, as it will allow satellite firms to operate here without regulations.

“The bill does not reform an uneven system. It creates another ‘only in the Philippines’ scenario, one where foreign satellite providers are allowed to offer service directly to communities without going through any locally regulated entity,” the PCTO said.

The PCTO scored the measure for allegedly favoring the technology of satellite providers, which are mostly foreign companies, given how costly it is to deploy and manage space-based assets. Likewise, the group said it has no guaranteed mechanism for lowering costs for consumers.

“Unlike current franchise holders, these new and largely foreign operators will not be required to build infrastructure, not be required to service or in fact subsidize underserved rural areas, nor support the government in times of national emergency,” the PCTO said.

Further, the PCTO clarified that even though it has concerns on the Konektadong Pinoy Act, it is opposed to the idea of requiring more congressional franchises for telco investors.

The PCTO said its members simply complied with the demands of the current process, adding that it also supports an equal playing field in the industry.

Now ratified by lawmakers, the Konektadong Pinoy Act will eliminate barriers to entry in telco to convince more providers to invest in the Philippines. In particular, the measure will delete the requirement of getting a legislative franchise to offer connectivity services to Filipinos.

As such, Information Secretary Henry Aguda sees the measure as a way to promote competition by giving consumers more options.