MANILA, Philippines – Inaprubahan sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ng Kamara ang panukalang magbibigay ng mas mura at accessible na internet sa publiko sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalis ng spectrum user fee (SUF).
Sa sesyon nitong Miyerkules, Agosto 21, bumoto ang 203 mambabatas pabor sa panukala para sa House Bill No. 10699 o proposed Sana All May Internet Act.
Walang tumutol o nag-abstain para rito.
Sa oras na maisabatas, ang Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) at National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ay hindi na magpapataw ng “a levy, charge, or collect fees” mula sa public communications entities (PTEs).
Ang SUF ay tumutukoy sa bayad na ipinapataw ng pamahalaan sa mga PTE sa paggamit ng partikular na frequency.
Sa ilalim ng panukala, ang Wi-Fi frequencies sa 2.4-2.4835 gigahertz (GHz), 5.150-5.350 GHz, at 5.470-5.850 GHz, at iba pang frequency band, na ‘open and unprotected’ ay maaaring isama ng NTC sa zero SUF policy.
“The State, through the DICT and the NTC, shall not impose a levy, charge, or collect fees from PTEs and other users for their use of the frequencies as specified in this Act, provided, that PTEs shall not interfere with each other’s Wi-Fi airwaves or with any licensed radio stations in the course of their operations, thereby effectively establishing a zero SUF,” saad pa sa panukala.
“The zero SUF shall be without prejudice to the authority of State, through the NTC, to collect fees for registration and authorization permits and licenses provided that such fees do not substantially deviate from traditional fees and charges that it becomes onerous to PTEs,” dagdag pa.
Layon din ng proposal na payagan ang proliferation ng Wi-Fi technology usage at facilitation ng infrastructure development — na lahat ay layong pababain ang halaga ng internet services.
“The State recognizes the vital role of telecommunication in nation building and as such, it shall implement measures to provide communication standards suitable to the needs and aspirations of the nation,” sinabi sa panukala.
“To this end, the government shall allocate the radio frequency spectrum to promote the adoption of appropriate technologies and best practices, an interference-free environment, and the highest service standards and shall assign the radio frequency spectrum to service providers capable of efficiently and effectively using it to meet public demand for telecommunications and data transmission services,” dagdag pa.
Noong Setyembre 2022 sa budget deliberations para sa 2023 budget, sinabi ni Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza na ang mas murang internet lalo na sa rural at underserved areas, ay possible sa bansa kung aalisin ang SUF.
Ipinaliwanag ni Daza na pinipigilan ng SUF ang maliit at independent telecommunication companies sa paghahatid ng sapat na serbisyo dahil kailangan nilang maglabas para makagamit ng WiFi frequencies na “open to public use.”
Sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang setup, nangongolekta ang NTC ng SUF mula sa mga telco sa paggamit ng frequency dahilan para mahirapang makasabay ang mga maliliit na kompanya sa paggamit ng WiFi frequency.
Dahil dito, ipinanukala ng mambabatas na maningil na lamang ang NTC ng SUF sa big players gaya ng Globe at Smart, at iba pang malalaking kompanya na gumagamit ng frequency. RNT/JGC
