Newtec and First United Broadcasting Go Island Hopping...All 7,100 Philippine Islands to Receive iGSat Broadband

Newtec, designer, developer and manufacturer of equipment and technologies for satellite communications, will partner with satellite service provider First United Broadcasting Corporation (FUBC) together to launch a new broadband service called “iGSat Satellite Broadband” in the Philippines.

iGSat is a service being provided by FUBC which is licensed to operate Direct To Home (DTH) satellite services as well as radio and TV broadcast. FUBC also runs the DTH Satellite TV (GSAT) and Global News Network (GNN) and its satellite footprint reaches the Philippine archipelago and surrounding countries. The new iGSat Broadband service will deliver high-speed satellite broadband across the Philippines, which is comprised of over 7100 islands.


“This latest technology will support the grassroots program of the government and private firms to cover the entire Philippine society for communication, information and education," said First United Broadcasting Corporation CEO Phillip J. Chien. "The technology will be available anywhere, everywhere. It is limitless and beyond boundaries."

Serving the corporate market, iGSat Broadband will deliver reliable, high-speed, always-on Internet access without depending on availability of terrestrial networks. The network connects entirely via satellite. Whether in the city or the depths of the countryside, users will be able to enjoy a broadband connection wherever they are.

“This project will not be in competition with the present providers, but will be a great support in areas where there is slow or no available bandwidth at all,” said Chien.

iGSat offers a range of solutions for the broadband user, comprising of satellite connections for the home, business, private network and maritime communications as well as for Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The broadband service is based on Newtec’s broadband hub utilizing thousands of Newtec’s terminals including the MDM2200 IP Satellite Modems and interactive LNBs. This technology provides local ISPs with the broadband connection they need in order to offer reliable, high-speed and always-on Internet access to users through a wired or wireless (WiFi) connection.

“Newtec is proud to partner with First United Broadcasting Corporation’s iGSat Broadband service in the Philippines," said Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck. "Our technologies continue to offer high performance in the most economical way and remain at the forefront of pushing satellite broadband to areas where any connectivity was not previously thought to be possible and we are doing this at a competitive price."

A contract was signed on November 6, 2014 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza and witnessed by Ambassador Roland Van Remoortele of the Kingdom of Belgium and Ambassador Garry Lin of Taiwan ROC. The iGSat Broadband service will launch at the beginning of December in 2014 and ultimately connect thousands of businesses and homes to satellite broadband technology.

Globe takeover of Bayantel requires Congress approval, says PLDT

The sale of Bayantel's frequencies to Globe will require legislative clearance, according to PLDT.

"Bayantel's franchise specifically prohibits the transfer, sale or assignment of any right or privilege granted it without approval of Congress," Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co said in a statement.

"The arrangement circumvents pertinent laws and regulations regarding the assignment, allocation or use of radio frequencies that call for the public auction of the contested radio frequencies which remained idle for over 10 years or since the grant of provisional authority to Bayantel way back in 2000," PLDT said.

Globe Telecom Inc had acquired 98.26 percent of Bayan Telecommunication Inc's loans and 100 percent of Radio Communications of the Philippines Inc's (RCPI) liabilities. RCPI is a unit of Bayantel, both of which are owned by the Lopez Group.

The acquisition cost $130 million, lower than the $400 million face value of Bayantel's aggregate debt.

PLDT recently bagged 60-day temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals, barring the sale of Bayantel to Globe.

The Appellate Court said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should first act on the objections raised by PLDT before granting Globe's acquisition of Bayantel.

Globe was expecting last July to snag NTC approval of the Bayantel takeover, but the PLDT Group and Next Mobile sought to block the deal.

As Bayantel's largest creditor, Globe intends to convert its debt holdings into at least 54 percent of the former's outstanding shares.

Globe plans to unlock Bayantel's key business assets, particularly in corporate data and broadband. The takeover would allow Globe to address rising demand for mobile data services, and Bayantel to build its mobile network.

NTC eyes changes to broadband speed rules

THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will amend its memorandum on the minimum speed of broadband connections after concerned parties on a Senate inquiry on Sept. 16 sought for some changes in the terms, a senior official said.
In a phone interview, NTC Director Edgardo R. Cabarios said that a public consultation and hearing was sought after some telecommunication providers during a Senate hearing proposed “ways to measure speed connections and methods of measurement.”

The Senate inquiry last month, which was called by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV, was centered on whether consumers are getting their money’s worth from their Internet and telecommunications service providers.

NTC said during the hearing that it will issue a memorandum circular prescribing minimum standards for telecommunication companies and Internet service providers on broadband connectivity.

In a notice of public consultation and hearing published yesterday, the NTC invited all affected and interested parties to a meeting on Nov. 7 about their proposals to amend Memorandum Order No.07-07-2011 on the minimum speed of broadband connections.

Tabled for discussion, among others, are the parameters to be measured; the methods and periods of measurement of broadband speed connectivity; who should conduct the measurement; and methods of mediation and arbitration in case of disputes.

NTC said during the Senate inquiry that it will buy the equipment needed to monitor the level of broadband connectivity provided by telecommunication companies.

“We need to settle all their proposals first before we can buy equipment that will measure the speed of telco’s broadband services’ connectivity,” Mr. Cabarios explained.

The NTC will conduct another public hearing, according to Mr. Cabarios, after it settles all concerns during the first consultation.

“After that, we will be issuing the amended memorandum before the year ends,” he added.

Other than implementing a minimum speed for broadband connections, the NTC memorandum circular could likewise contain amendments on broadband advertisements that will require the telecommunication companies remove or clarify terms like “unlimited” or “up to” with regard to broadband speed and amount of data offered.

In a report by the United Nations Broadband Commission published last month, the Philippines ranked 57th among 132 countries surveyed for household broadband penetration in 2013.