State-run National Transmission Corp. and private company National Grid Corp. of the Philippines agreed to sign a tripartite agreement with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to roll out the national broadband network.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Wednesday NGCP was now willing to work with Transco to use the power grid’s fiber optic cable for telecommunication purposes.
“Regarding the fiber optic to be used for telco… I was called that they are already willing to sign with TransCo,” Cusi said.
Cusi earlier asked NGCP and DICT to include TransCo, which owns the fiber optic cable of grid operator NGCP, to include the state-run agency in the agreement.
Cusi said under the tripartite agreement, the fiber optic cable of the government would be used to the benefit of the Filipino people.
“I understand there are no conditions, that it is acceptable to all parties… So we will have a stable platform, so we can attract investors,” he said.
TransCo president Melvin Matibag confirmed that an agreement with the two parties was being prepared, but it remained to be signed.
“We have to present it to the board also. We’re setting a meeting next week with DICT,” Matibag said.
He said one of the provisions in the agreement was that “the MOA [memorandum of agreement] will not affect claims of Transco and NGCP and cannot be used in other forums as to the other claims except for the purpose to push for the broadband project.”
Matibag said the purpose of the agreement was to promote better broadband service to the public.
He said that after the signing, the DICT would implement the project because it was the one with technical capability.
“Our legal [department] is now sorting out the details of the agreement. We’re targeting [signing] before the end of the month. We’re setting a meeting next week,” he said.
The DICT earlier agreed to team up with NGCP for the roll-out of the national broadband program.