Dito Telecommunity has started its technical audits on Thursday and they’re confident about their preparedness for it. DITO is working its way to secure its place as the third telco provider in the country, challenging the duopoly of both Globe and PLDT. The company notified the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in a letter that they are ready for the first annual audit of its services.
The audit encompasses checks and balances of the services DITO claims it can provide to consumers. According to Dito, the auditor would focus on a percentage of the 1,600 identified sites that cover 8,800 barangays in the country. DITO has vowed to deliver a minimum average internet speed of 27 Mbps and cover 37% of the population.
Rodolfo Santiago, Dito chief technology officer said that the company has completed 1,532 cell towers nationwide. He also said that regulators will assess Dito’s compliance on these two commitments by heading out in the field to various “test points” to check if the area is reached by Dito signal. After which, connection speed tests will also be done and collated, which will then be averaged and checked against the NTC commitments.
Regardless of the technical launch’s results, DITO is set on rolling out its commercial services in March. However, If Dito is unable to meet its commitment, the government may forfeit its franchise which includes a P25.7-billion performance bond and the frequency given to the company.
R.G. Manabat & Co., an affiliate of international audit firm KPMG, was chosen as an independent auditor to test connectivity and internet speed requirements by the PH government. The field test is expected to be completed within 30 days. The final report will be submitted 15 days after that.
