Philippines to enforce fair spectrum use under new Open Data Transmission Law
By Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj ( October 22, 2025, 06:25 GMT | Insight) -- The Philippine Competition Commission is preparing to issue rules on the fair allocation of spectrum frequencies under the newly enacted Konektadong Pinoy Act, also known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act — a reform expected to reshape competition in the country’s long-concentrated telecommunications sector.The Philippine Competition Commission, or PCC, is preparing to issue rules on the fair allocation of spectrum frequencies under the newly enacted Konektadong Pinoy Act, also known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act — a reform expected to reshape competition in the country’s long-concentrated telecommunications sector.Speaking at the Concurrences Conference* on Tuesday, PCC Chair Michael Aguinaldo said the new law, which became effective on Aug. 24, gives the commission an explicit mandate to promote competition and efficiency in data transmission, including powers to intervene in how spectrum — the radio frequencies essential for mobile and broadband services — is distributed among players.“The spectrum has been hogged by two of these players,” Aguinaldo said. “Some of the ranges are unutilized — they just hold it, but they’re not actually using it. Now we’ve been given the power to make sure this is allocated equally and evenly among players.”He added that the new framework also seeks to fix inefficiencies in how frequencies are organized. “Some of the ranges are split apart, and the law now empowers us to help cure that defect,” he said, noting that contiguous spectrum blocks are needed to maximize network performance.The PCC’s expanded role comes as the Philippines continues to struggle with one of the slowest and most expensive internet services in Southeast Asia. Despite recent improvements, Aguinaldo said, the market remains highly concentrated: the two largest telecommunications players control roughly 49 percent and 44 percent of the market, while a third player holds less than 5 percent.In the Philippine telecom industry, the market is dominated by PLDT and Globe Telecom, with a smaller rival, DITO Telecommunity, still struggling to break the duopoly. This structure has long been cited by analysts as a factor behind high costs and limited innovation.Under the new law, telecommunications services are reframed as “data transmission” rather than a legacy telecom model. Aguinaldo said the legislation aims to remove barriers that have long discouraged new entrants. Chief among them was the requirement to obtain a legislative franchise from Congress — a process he described as both costly and exclusionary.“When you get a franchise in Congress, it costs money — not development cost, but political cost,” he said. “It becomes a barrier because only the big players can come in. This law does away with that. No need for a legislative franchise — you can now enter the market directly.”The PCC will issue implementing guidelines and rules to ensure fair and open competition in data transmission, particularly in how spectrum is used and assigned. Aguinaldo said the goal is to “stimulate growth and improve services” by opening the market to more players and ensuring more efficient use of limited public resources.*The Concurrences Conference took place in Hong Kong on Oct 21, 2025....
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