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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Telof plans cheap calls for RP’s unserved areas
AS telecommunication companies pressure the government to allow only companies that have congressional franchises to offer the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, the government-owned telecommunications company is moving on with its plan to use VoIP technology to provide telecommunications services, especially to unserved areas.
According to Telecommunications Office (Telof) Commissioner Elberto Emphasis, Telof can offer the VoIP service to any area in the country. Being an office created by government, Telof does not need a congressional franchise to offer the voice services.
This means Telof is a bigger threat to telecommunications companies (telco) than private companies offering the VoIP, such as Internet service providers (ISP).
Telof is a national government agency under the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.
Telcos Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. are now contesting the draft rules on VoIP by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which state that the technology is a value-added service and that any company can offer it, provided it signs a memorandum of agreement with a telecommunications carrier.
VoIP routes phone calls through the Internet instead of through traditional public switched telephone networks. Its lower cost has made it a popular alternative to traditional voice calls.
Prior to the new draft rules, VoIP was classified as a voice service.
Under the Telecommunications Act, this classification meant that only telecommunications companies with a government franchise to carry voice calls were permitted to offer VoIP commercially, though companies were permitted to make use of VoIP for private networks.
The reclassification of VoIP as a value-added service has placed ISPs and traditional telcos at loggerheads as it would, if finally approved, permit ISPs to offer commercial VoIP services independently of the telcos.
“We’re not against VoIP. The issue here is who can offer it?” Globe senior vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs Rodolfo Salalima said in a statement.
When asked for comment about Telof’s using the VoIP technology to offer voice calls, Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto said he was not aware of Smart’s stand on the issue.
Telof’s Emphasis said VoIP will allow the government to provide telecommunications services, especially to unserved areas in Mindanao and other far-flung areas.
Telof has partnered with Singapore-based telecommunications carrier ETN, which pledged to invest $25-$30 million for the installation all over the country of the infrastructure that will enable Telof to offer technologies like VoIP and Wimax, a facility similar to wireless fidelity (Wifi) but with a wider coverage of up to 40 kilometers.
Wifi is a facility that connects a computer within a 20-meter range to the Internet without using telephone lines. (JBN)
(May 11, 2005 issue)
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