PLDT and Globe are set to make a huge announcement this morning revealing that they bought the telco assets of San Miguel. This is huge news and it will have a massive effect on the digital and tech landscape of the country. Our reaction is pretty straightforward and simple — this is our chance for better Internet but PLDT, Globe, and the Government has to get their act together..

The Pressure is On: We Expect Better Internet Services ASAP

With the prospect of a third telco entering the market fading away, there’s no other way to react to this news but to demand better Internet services from PLDT and Globe. The 700 MHz spectrum should help with capacity of both telcos which is at the root of poor and unreliable speeds.

Ideally the ratio between cell site to Internet users should be around 500-800 users to 1 cell site. You know how bad it is in the Philippines? We’re at 2200 users to 1 cell site.

The strength of the 700 MHz spectrum is that it offers much higher capacity than the other frequencies. It is also more cost effective to deploy on the part of the telco. For more information on this, check out this interview we had with Tony Velasquez on Future Perfect about the issue.

So What Now? DICT Can Make a Mark with This One

PLDT and Globe need to invest in cell sites and optimising their network (base stations, etc). Just as important, the government has to do their part by making it easier and faster to put up cell sites all over the country.

According to telco insiders and professionals, it takes forever to put up a cell site because of all the permits telcos have to get from LGUs. Now that Globe and Smart have access to the 700 MHz spectrum, all that needs to happen is for them to put up more cell sites. The government has to do their part by making it easier and faster to put up cell sites all over the country. This is where the newly announced Department of Information, Communications, and Technology (DICT) can make a huge impact.

We all have parts to play here. The government, telcos, media, and even you guys. What’s consistent is we need to keep demanding and expecting progress and service improvement. Service befitting a country that holds the title of the “social media capital of the world”.

So that’s what we want. An action plan on how this will all be operationalized (with specific timelines). We don’t just want to hear from telcos, we also want to hear from the government. It will be exciting to hear what Digong has to say about this, hehe. 😛

More on this as the morning goes on. We have a few interviews scheduled. Keep glued to this space.