The National Telecommunications Commission rejected the request of a bidder to extend the submission and opening of bids by one week for the selection of a new major player in the Philippine telecommunication sector.
“The selection committee regrets to deny the request for a one-week extension,” NTC said in a clarificatory bid bulletin.
A prospective bidder earlier asked NTC to consider a one-week extension on the deadline of submission of documents to allow people to observe the All Saints Day in the first week of November.
The submission and opening of bid documents were set on Nov. 7 this year.
China Telecom, Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp., Now Telecom, Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp., the joint venture of businessman Chavit Singson’s LSC Group of Companies and TierOne Communications and Norway’s Telenor Group purchased bid documents.
Under the final terms of reference issued by NTC and DICT, the potential bidders will be chosen based on the highest committed level of service for over a period of five years.
The three criteria are national population coverage with a weight of 40 percent, minimum average broadband speed of 25 percent and capital and operating expenditure with 35 percent.
The rules stated that the minimum population coverage for the first year should be 10 percent, a figure that should reach 50 percent by the fifth year.
The new player is expected to invest a minimum of P40 billion in the first year and P240 billion in five years.
The selection committee will use a point system based on the documents submitted by the potential players.
The bidders are required to post a participation fee of P700 million, or equivalent to 0.5 percent of the minimum capital and operational expenditure at the end of the commitment period.