Bayantel wants NTC to reconsider 3G application

By Erwin Lemuel Oliva, INQ7.net

LOPEZ-OWNED telecommunications firm Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayantel) asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Wednesday to reconsider its application for a third-generation mobile network license, according to NTC Deputy Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento.

Sarmiento said Bayantel's failure to rollout a cellular mobile telephone service (CMTS), despite being given the authority to run one, disqualified the company in the recent bidding of 3G frequencies.

The NTC official said Bayantel was appealing its application, arguing that its failure to rollout a CMTS was "beyond its control."

"Bayantel claims in its motion for reconsideration that they should be relieved from complying with the track record requirements due to legal and corporate issues. And since they failed to rollout their CMTS, this affected their track record," Sarmiento added.

A court injunction and a corporate rehabilitation have prevented Bayantel from rolling out CMTS in the Philippines, according to its written motion for reconsideration submitted to the NTC.

The NTC has given all local operators, who failed to qualify as the fifth 3G operator, until January 13, 2006 to appeal their applications.

The NTC has granted government 3G licenses to four operators, namely Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Digital Telecommunications (Digitel), and Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc. led by Roberto Ongpin.