MANILA, Philippines — Four other companies from Japan, South Korea, US, and Australia are interested to partner with local firms and become a third telco player in the country, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio Jr. said in a press conference companies from Japan, South Korea and the US, as well as Australian telco Telstra Corp. Ltd. have also expressed interest to enter the country’s telco industry.

“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.

Earlier, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said China Telecom has been selected by China government to invest in the Philippines.

Duterte invited China to invest in the telco industry to break the duopoly and offer consumers another option amid complaints of dropped calls and slow internet speeds.

Given the instructions from Duterte to ensure a third telco provider would be operational by the first quarter of next year, as well as interest from firms to participate in the telco industry, Rio said the DICT and National Telecommunications Commission are aiming to conduct the bidding for the available frequencies within the first three months of 2018.

“We should be able to award within the first quarter so that upon awarding, the third telco would be able to operate,” he said.

As the Philippine Constitution limits foreign ownership of telcos to 40 percent, the foreign firms would need to partner with local companies to be able to participate in the bidding for frequencies.

Rio said the government would grant frequencies to a telco player that has the financial and technical capability to be able to truly compete with existing players Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc.

“We would also like to be sure that the one chosen is big enough financially and technically so that it won’t be gobbled up by Globe and Smart,” he said.

He said the aim of the bidding is to have a third telco player that would give the third choice to consumers.