Philippines: Open Access in Data Transmission Act, including competition provisions was introduced to House of Representatives

On 30 June 2022, the Open Access in Data Transmission Act was introduced to the House of Representatives. The Act mandates that the data transmission sector remain open and accessible to all qualified participants. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) shall adopt a technology-neutral framework and promote fair and open competition across all network segments in accordance with the Philippine Competition Act. The Act also requires transparency in pricing, mandates interconnection to prevent market dominance, encourages distributed local solutions, and directs the NTC to define and regulate entities with substantial market power. It also prohibits anti-competitive practices, including refusal to interconnect, anti-competitive cross-subsidisation, throttling, and paid prioritisation.