President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ensure that the third telecommunications player in the Philippines would be up by first quarter of 2018.

“The President has issued a directive to the NTC and the DICT to ensure that the third telco player will be up and about by the first quarter of 2018,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

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“If it is not approved within seven days, it is deemed approved. That’s how serious the President is in the entry of a third telecoms player,” Roque added.

Asked why the entry of the third telecommunications company in the country is being rushed, Roque said “we need desperately to have better telecoms in this country.”

Malacanang had earlier announced that Duterte has offered China the privilege of becoming the third telecommunications carrier in the country. /kga

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