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Konektadong Pinoy Bill Lapses Into Law

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On August 24, 2025, R.A. No. 12234, also known as the “Konektadong Pinoy Act,” lapsed into law. The Act was passed in order to improve the development of data transmission infrastructure and improve the competitiveness of the data transmission industry in the Philippines. The provisions of the Act are applicable to all Data Transmission Industry Participants (DTIPs), including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers, internet service providers (ISPs), and Satellite Systems Providers or Operators (SSPOs). Significantly, the law has repealed the requirement of a legislative franchise to construct, install or operate radio stations, under Act No. 3846 and to commence or conduct the business of being a public telecommunications entity under R.A. No. 7925.

 

The Act segmented the data transmission industry into international gateway facilities, core or backbone network, middle mile, last mile and any other segment as may be defined by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

 

Regarding the regulation of the data transmission industry, the DICT functions as the highest policy-making body on data transmission and connectivity powers while the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will be the principal regulatory and adjudicative body over the data transmission sector.

 

All DTIPs are allowed to put up their own networks and required to register with the NTC, pursuant to the registration provisions under the Act. DTIPs are also required to comply with a cybersecurity audit conducted by the Cybersecurity Bureau of the DICT and secure a cyber security certification from a third-party organization based on the prevailing International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards on information security management or such other minimum security standards identified by the DICT within 2 years from registration.

 

The formulation of a Spectrum Management Policy Framework (SPMF) is also mandated to ensure that the spectrum is managed in a manner that ensures fair competition and should contain the national policies and guiding principles to govern the management of the spectrum.

 

The Act also contains penal provisions that prohibit the refusal of access providers to provide access to digital infrastructure in the access list, refusal of access providers to give or make available to suppliers of data transmission services technical information about its digital infrastructure and services in the access list, the provision by DTIPs of false or incorrect information or commit material misrepresentation in relation to compliance with the Act and the failure to have separate books of accounts between different data transmission segments. Administrative penalties may also be imposed under the Act including fees for the failure of DTIPs that provide data transmission services to comply with the performance standards imposed by the NTC, suspension of the operations of a DTIP for the failure to secure a cybersecurity certification, fines for violations of the penal provisions of the Act with DTIPs that commit at least 3 violations of the Act being required to forfeit all its certificates, licenses, authorization, rights and awards in relation to its participation in the data transmission industry.

 

Section 25 of the Act also provides the rights of users of data transmission users, namely:

  • To be entitled to data transmission services which is non-discriminatory, reliable, and conforming with minimum standards set by the NTC. In times of national emergencies or other disasters or calamities, the NTC shall ensure that DTIPs provide continuous and uninterrupted service to agencies and institutions providing aid, treatment and assistance to affected persons;
  • To be rendered data transmission services within thirty (30) calendar days from application for service;
    For student users enrolled in any public or private educational institutions, to be provided appropriate discount as part of the DTIP’s corporate social responsibility;
  • To receive regular, timely and accurate billing, and be accorded with courteous and efficient service at business offices and by company personnel;
  • To be provided with timely correction of errors in billing and immediate rebates or refunds by the data transmission service provider without the need for demand by the user; and
  • To be accorded with thorough and prompt investigation of, and action upon complaints, the data transmission service provider shall endeavor to allow complaints to be received by any means convenient to the end user, including voice calls, post, short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messages (MMS), instant messaging applications, and other means of online communication, and shall keep a record of all complaints received and the action taken to address the complaints.
  • Subject to the filing of a formal request to the data service provider, a user may request the immediate termination of service without the imposition of fees or penalties, and with the refund of any fee or charge already paid by the user, should a data service provider not consistently comply with paragraphs (a), (e), and (f) of Section 25 or any other minimum performance standards set by the NTC.

 

The full Act may be found here.

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