LISTED fiber web provider Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. said it wants stronger regulatory authority included within the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Konektadong Pinoy Act to stop potential abuse of relaxed provisions.
“Two particular areas we’d like to deal with are regulatory standards and cybersecurity. Too often, commitments are made but services should not delivered. This shows that standardization could be very essential,” Converge ICT Chief Executive Officer Dennis Anthony H. Uy said in a Viber message on Monday.
The Konektadong Pinoy bill, which seeks to enhance web access by relaxing regulations and allowing more entrants into the info transmission industry, lapsed into law on Sunday.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it’s now drafting the IRR of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, also often known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act.
The agency said it can convene stakeholders for the drafting of the IRR, which it targets to finalize inside 60 to 90 days.
DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said the agency has invited major telecommunications and ICT firms to offer input on the IRR.
Converge expressed support for the Konektadong Pinoy Act, saying it’s anticipated to encourage more industry participants and enhance connectivity and services nationwide.
“Competition gives people real alternative. It’s not only ‘take it or leave it.’ That said, it’s very essential to make sure that the precise regulatory framework is in place, on this case the implementing rules and regulations. The final thing we wish is for consumers to suffer from substandard offers. We’d like strong, clear, and enforceable rules that guarantee an equal playing field,” Mr. Uy said.
He said stronger regulation is required to make sure accountability and protect consumers from fly-by-night operators.
The Konektadong Pinoy Act streamlines the licensing process within the industry. It also adopts an open-access policy to create a more accessible and competitive environment for all qualified participants across the info transmission network, while encouraging investments in digital infrastructure to support reliable and reasonably priced data services.
Under the law, latest data transmission entrants aren’t any longer required to secure a legislative franchise or a certificate of public convenience and necessity.
Earlier, the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) said this provision undermines regulatory oversight and threatens fair competition, because the law only requires entrants to secure cybersecurity certification after two years of operations.
“Cybersecurity is so essential. Every operator should have the aptitude to guard their network. Networks should have systems in place to guard against spam, scams, and other cyber threats. These are just a few examples, but there’s lots we’d like to do. We at Converge are willing to work closely with the federal government and with other players within the industry to make sure that this law truly works,” Mr. Uy said.
Apart from telecommunication firms, the crafting of the Konektadong Pinoy IRR can even be led by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), the DICT said.
“Reliable and reasonably priced web means more students, especially those in distant areas of the country, can gain access to online learning resources. Micro, small, and medium enterprises can reach broader markets, while clinics can deliver telehealth to those that are unable to travel to regional centers,” DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said in an announcement on Monday.
DEPDev said it’s committed to working with its partners to make sure that the law’s implementation could be faithful to the Konektadong Pinoy Act’s objectives while also addressing the concerns of the stakeholders.
“The agency will proceed providing evidence-based guidance and pursue an inclusive process in crafting the law’s implementing rules and regulations, ensuring that the promise of this reform brings real, equitably shared, and lasting gains for the country,” it said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose