Question & AnswerQ&A (NTC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 14-7-2000)
The primary objective is to promote the rapid expansion and interconnection of telecommunications services across the Philippines to ensure universal access, fair competition, transparency, and non-discriminatory terms among all authorized public telecommunications entities.
PTEs are any person, firm, partnership, or corporation, government or private, duly enfranchised by law and authorized by the Commission to provide telecommunications services to the public for compensation.
Interconnection refers to the linkage, by wire, radio, satellite, or other means, of two or more existing public telecommunications entities with the purpose of allowing subscribers or customers of one PTE to access or reach those of another PTE.
Yes, Section 4 mandates all duly authorized PTEs to interconnect with one another to ensure seamless telecommunications services in the country.
Key principles include any-to-any connectivity, end-to-end interoperability, fair compensation, equal responsibility to interconnect, timely satisfaction of requests, and non-discriminatory, transparent, and reasonable terms.
PTEs must negotiate in good faith, share necessary technical and commercial information, satisfy interconnection requests promptly, and submit executed agreements for Commission approval within prescribed timelines.
The Commission may intervene and mandate provisional interconnection, then arbitrate disputes and issue an interconnection mandate with terms and conditions binding on the parties.
Penalties include administrative fines and sanctions, suspension of license applications, disqualification of responsible officers, and suspension of authorized rates, among others, after due notice and hearing.
A Major Supplier is a PTE that materially affects the market through essential facilities control or market position. They must avoid anti-competitive acts like cross-subsidization and ensure fair practices.
Interconnection charges must be cost-based, transparent, unbundled, non-discriminatory, and reflect the long run incremental costs; these include charges for call origination, termination, transit, and applicable subsidies.
Access providers must offer physical and virtual collocation on a first-come, first-served and non-discriminatory basis, must allocate adequate space when feasible, and allow interconnecting PTEs to install and maintain required equipment subject to technical feasibility and reasonable compensation.
All information exchanged in relation to interconnection must be kept strictly confidential and cannot be disclosed to third parties without prior written consent or unless required by law or a competent authority.
The Commission mediates negotiations, assumes jurisdiction in disputes especially when PTEs refuse to interconnect, orders provisional interconnection, arbitrates disputes, and approves or disapproves interconnection agreements.