Telecoms & IT

Surging activity and investment have benefitted the Philippines’ telecommunications industry in the decades following its deregulation, with mobile penetration increasing rapidly among a large population of digitally literate consumers. Although the market remains dominated by two operators, rising competition between them saw capital expenditure soar in 2016, driving improvements to service quality and consumer tariffs. Recent government moves to re-allocate new spectrum have further supported expansion of 3G, 4G and LTE services. The creation of a stand-alone department to oversee ICT development bodes well for expansion of a planned national broadband network, with the private sector set to play an important role in future service expansion.

This chapter contains an interview with Rodolfo A Salalima, Secretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology.