The Philippines’ state-run National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), the owner of the nation’s power grid, is close to a deal with the private operator of the grid National Grid Corp (NGCP) to use NGCP’s transmission facilities as the backbone for its bid to become the nation’s third operator.
TransCo has sent a draft memorandum of agreement for a deal involving use of the grid’s inter-plant fiber transmission equipment for telecoms facilities, ABS-CBN News reported.
TransCo has previously expressed an interest in forming a partnership to apply for the third telco license. The government has meanwhile reportedly approached the Chinese government with an offer for one of China’s state-run operators to play the role, and plans to hold the allocation as a beauty contest.
But according to the report, while NGCP has stated that it is eager to participate in the government’s plan to improve telecoms services in the nation and break the PLDT-Globe duopoly, it does not agree that TransCo should be party to the deal.
An NGCP spokesperson told the publication that any deal involving allowing a third party or the government to use NGCP’s available network capacity should be negotiated with NGCP.
The company also said it is not interested in ownership in a third player and is willing to allow use of the equipment at minimum or even no cost.