The technical audit for 3rd telco player Dito Telecommunity started on Thursday, January 7, as the firm submitted a notice of readiness to the government.

In a statement, Dito said KPMG RG Manabat & Co. was chosen as independent auditor to test connectivity and internet speed.

“For the past months, amid the difficulties posed by the current global pandemic, Dito has made great strides in the rollout to ensure that the results of the audit will be positive,” Dito chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

Under its certificate of public convenience, Dito must be able to cover at least 37% of the population and provide a minimum average speed of 27 megabits per second in its first year.

A percentage of the identified 1,600 sites, covering 8,800 barangays, will be used as the base for the audit.

Dito said the field test is expected to be completed within 30 days. The final report is expected to be issued 15 days after that.

The 3rd telco player missed its technical audit initially scheduled in July 2020 due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The government gave the telco another 6 months to meet its commitments.

Dito’s commercial rollout is expected to happen by March. – Rappler.com