MANILA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law on Tuesday the bill granting DITO Telecommunity Corp., the country's third major telecommunication service provider, a new 25-year franchise.
The new law shall take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
In April 1998, the government granted the telecommunication firm a 25-year franchise due to expire in April 2023. The 1998 franchise allowed the firm to extend or renew its license three years before its expiration.
Under the new law, DITO is allowed to provide service in and between provinces, cities, and municipalities in the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries, as well as to establish, operate, manage, lease, maintain and purchase telecommunication systems for commercial purposes and in the public interest.
DITO won a government-led bidding exercise in 2018 to introduce new competition and challenge industry major players PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom. Enditem