The Konektadong Pinoy Act is finally law. Not signed, not vetoed, but lapsed into being—a rare birth that nevertheless rewrites the rules of Philippine telecommunications. For the first time in nearly a century, new players no longer need a congressional franchise to provide internet services. On paper, it promises more competition, better service, and lower prices for Filipino consumers.
But in reality, the battle has only just begun. The real test lies in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Pro-consumer advocates are already worried: the big telcos could use the IRR stage to quietly rebuild the very barriers Congress just tore down.
How the IRR Could Tilt the Field
Telcos are unlikely to argue against competition outright. Instead, critics fear they will wrap their proposals in the language of fairness, resilience, and governance—all while reshaping the rules to their advantage. Among the red flags:
Licensing by another name: Forcing new data-only operators to secure CPCNs or other burdensome permits would be a franchise system in disguise.
- Impossible benchmarks: Nationwide coverage, high uptime, and minimum speed requirements applied equally to a small local ISP and a national giant would lock out new entrants.
- Resilience as a barrier: Requiring expensive backup systems (fixed-line or satellite) for every provider could effectively disqualify small players.
- Weak infrastructure sharing: If tower and fiber sharing is left to “commercial negotiations,” incumbents will continue to control access. Regulators need Reference Access Offers—default contracts with fair, regulator-approved terms.
- Spectrum lock-in: Smart and Globe still hold most of the prime frequencies. The law mandates a review within 3 months and a new Spectrum Management Framework within a year. If this reform is watered down, competition will stay weak.
- Governance overkill: Disclosure and reporting are necessary—but if stock exchange listings or detailed financial reports are imposed on all players, only the giants will survive the compliance burden.
Why This Matters
The core intent of the Konektadong Pinoy Act is clear: open the gates to more players, more choices, and better service. But the IRR will decide whether those gates stay open—or quietly swing shut again.
The risk is not in what telcos say, but in how rules are written. What looks like fairness or resilience could, in practice, mean higher costs, slower innovation, and fewer choices for consumers.
For consumers, the stakes are huge: if the IRR preserves the spirit of the law, expect cheaper, faster, and more widely available internet. If not, the Philippines could remain trapped in a duopoly, with the law remembered as a promise broken at the drafting table.