Radio frequencies ng NOW Telecom pinababawi sa NTC

Naghain ng reklamo sa National Telecommunications Company (NTC) ang tatlo katao at hiniling sa ahensya na bawiin ang radio frequencies ng NOW Telecom Company Inc. Ayon sa mga complainant, dapat bawiin ng NTC ang frequencies na ina-assign sa NOW Telecom  “in view of its inefficient use, non-operation, circumvention, and nonpayment of Spectrum User Fees (SUF) and violations of the terms and conditions of its Provisional Authority.” Hiniling din nila sa NTC na singilin ang required SUF at magpatupad ng kaukulang administrative sanction at penalties sa telecom company. Inihain ng mga taxpayer na sina Mirzilyn Abarabar, Marlowe Zarate, at Maria Veronica Aquino ang kanilang reklamo sa NTC sa pamamagitan ni Atty. Amado Aquino III noong Enero. Tinukoy ng mga complainant ang Section 4(c) ng Republic Act No. 7925 o Public Telecommunications Policy Act, na nagsasaad na ang dapat i-allocate ng pamahalaan “radio frequency spectrum to service providers who will use it efficiently and effectively to meet public demand for telecommunications service.” Nakasaad din sa Section 15 ng kaparehong batas na ang paggamit ng radio frequency ay dapat subject sa reasonable spectrum user fees o SUF. Noong 2018 ay nakapag-secure ang NOW Telecom (dating Infocom Communications Network INc.) ng extension sa kanilang congressional franchise para magtayo at mag-operate ng telecommunications network hanggang 2043. Ito’y matapos lagdaan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang Republic Act 10972, na nag-renew sa prangkisa ng kumpanya para sa panibagong 25 taon. Partikular na ginarantiyahan ng batas sa kumpanya ang “franchise to construct, establish, operate and maintain mobile radio systems such as radio, paging systems, cellular phone systems, personal communication network, and trunked radio systems within and without the Philippines.” Noong 2020 ay pinalawig din ng NTC ang provisional authority ng NOW Telecom para mag-install, mag-operate, at  mag-maintain ng nationwide mobile telecommunications system. Gayunman, nakasaad sa reklamo na ginagamit ng NOW Telecom ang kanilang franchise at kanilang state-assigned frequency sa loob ng maraming taon, sa pagsasabing, “In that span of time, there were no developments outside Metro Manila much more any improvements made in Metro Manila.” “Evidently, neither signal towers were installed nor physical office was established by the Respondent not only in the Complainants’ localities but also in their other areas of operation,” saad pa sa reklamo. Sinabi ng mga complainant na nagsampa sila ng reklamo dahil sa kabiguan ng Respondent na mabigyan ng internet service ang kanilang lokalidad sa kabila ng pagkakaroon ng radio frequency na itinalaga sa kanila ng estado. “Furthermore, after the inspections conducted by the Regional Offices of the NTC in September 2020, the Respondent’s permits to purchase (radio equipment), construct, and or install as well as issued radio station licenses (RSL) have not increased as committed,” saad pa sa complaint. “Only 10 stations in 6 sites out of the total 2,036 stations in 245 sites are installed with radio communications equipment. Without the necessary roll-out or site deployment, the subscribers imagined by the Respondent could not even be reached,” pagbibigay diin pa sa reklamo