The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) on Wednesday, Sept. 30, expressed concern after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) imposed sanctions against the country’s three major telco players due to “poor” mobile broadband services monitored in September.
PCTO counts as members the three major players — Globe, PLDT-Smart, and DITO — as well as Converge ICT Solutions, Bayantel, and PT&T, among others.
Over the weekend, the telecommunications regulator announced it has issued show-cause orders against DITO, Globe, and PLDT-Smart, with the imposition of a P100,000 daily fine over poor mobile broadband services observed in September.
PCTO confirmed that fines were imposed upon receipt of the show cause orders.
However, the group said the fines were slapped even “before operators were given adequate notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard, respond to, and contest the NTC’s findings.”
“This raises serious due process concerns. The NTC has also not sufficiently disclosed the methodologies, metrics, parameters, testing conditions, and other technical bases used to determine non-compliance. Without this information, operators cannot properly verify or contest the results,” PCTO said.
The NTC earlier said its September 2026 speed tests showed no improvement in the mobile internet performance of the three telcos in the National Capital Region (NCR), compared with initial validations conducted during the first and second quarters of the year.
The NTC clarified later on that the show cause orders are not limited to observed poor mobile broadband services in the NCR.
PCTO, however, said that operators should not be penalized under standards that have not been clearly defined and consistently applied.
“We further note that MC No. 001-01-2026 contemplates annual performance audits, and the detailed methodologies and parameters for testing have yet to be established,” the group said.
“Regulatory uncertainty and substantial penalties may also divert resources and attention from network expansion and improvement, the very investments needed to raise service quality,” it added.
PCTO furthermore said the government should address the long-standing structural barriers to better connectivity — burdensome and varying LGU permitting requirements, lengthy approval processes, and high regulatory fees imposed at both the national and local levels.
PCTO noted that it supports accountability and better service for the Filipino people, “but enforcement must rest on clear and transparent standards, sound technical methodologies, and due process, alongside government action to remove the barriers to telecommunications infrastructure investment and deployment.”
“We remain ready to work with the NTC and other government agencies toward a connectivity environment that serves all Filipinos,” it said. (GMA News)
