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Extelcom seeks mobile phone business comeback

02/27/2009

Mobile phone firm Express Telecommunication Co. Inc. (Extelcom), which has been dormant for a long time, is now asking the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for the assignment of the 925-935 MHz frequency band as it seeks to re-enter the market via the GSM platform.

The re-entry of a “re-energized” Extelcom into the cellular mobile telephone system (CMTS) business will further foster healthy competition in the market, said Extelcom president Luisito Sapiera.

He added that Extelcom’s proposed CMTS network will help trigger the next wave of much-needed changes in the Philippine market, such as substantial acceleration of subscriber penetration, increased competition on prices and service offerings and vast improvement of service quality.

“The history of Philippine telecoms regulation has always shown that the entry of new, active players had always redounded to the considerable benefit of the Filipino consumers,” said Sapiera, adding that “Extelcom is prepared to play a dynamic part in the next phase of the industry’s growth.”

Extelcom plans to use its existing frequency assignments, particularly the 880-890 MHz frequency band, together with its paired link, the 925-935 MHz frequency band, which it is asking from the NTC.

The firm already has a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the operation of CMTS and has been assigned the following frequencies: 835-845 MHz, 880-890 MHz, 1720-1725 MHz and 1815-1820 MHz.

Extelcom’s CPCN had been issued on the basis of a plan for a CMTS network using the analog-based advanced mobile phone system (AMPS), which has been rendered obsolete and outdated by developments in digital communications. Thus, it has to clearly move away from the defunct AMPS to the improved digital GSM platform.

The 880-890 MHz band and its paired link, the 925-935 MHz band has been identified by the International Telecommunications Union as suitable for offering CMTS on the GSM platform and will allow Extelcom to optimize voice call services and at the same time allow it to offer short messaging services (SMS), or more commonly known as text messaging.

Extelcom officials also announced that their marketing strategy will focus on service quality and affordable voice call rates in order to narrow the cost difference between voice calls and SMS.