REFORMS SEEN IN TELCO INDUSTRY WITH MORE PROVIDERS--POE

Sen. Grace Poe remains optimistic that the entry of major telecommunications service providers will bring far-reaching reforms amid consumers' woes of slow Internet, excessive fees for inferior service and disappearing load.

Poe, who chairs the Senate public services panel, said she was fully supportive of efforts to break the telco duopoly and was in fact encouraging more players to bid for the country's telco providers.

"Isa 'yan sa mga itinutulak natin na magkaroon ng kompetisyon--hindi lamang Globe at Smart--para mas mabilis at mas mura ang serbisyo sa publiko," Poe told a crowd of about 15,000 in San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan.

She was invited as guest speaker in the gathering that recognized the city's outstanding employees and celebrated the birthday of Mayor Arthur Robes.

Bringing in a third telco player or more means more choices for better and efficient service for the Filipinos, who are among the world's top internet users.

Poe recently held a hearing to update lawmakers about the third telco selection. Her committee is set to convene another "explanatory" hearing upon resumption of session next week and by the time the government announces the third telco by this month.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National telecommunications Commission has announced that they will push through with the bidding of the third telco today, November 7. The lead agencies will also announce a "provisional" third telco player.

"Maraming mga bagay ang dapat mangyari katulad ng pagkakaroon ng mas mabilis na Internet...Hindi ba minsan ang cellphone parang ang bilis maubos ng load?" Poe said.

Poe said the fact that the Philippines has one of the highest mobile data and Internet rates and among the slowest Internet speed globally is quite ironic considering that the country is the social networking capital of the world.