National Telecommunications Commission officials announced plans to collect nearly P3.77 billion in outstanding supervision and regulation fee liabilities, including penalties, from NOW Telecom Co., Inc. after the company’s motion for reconsideration was denied.
The denial came in a resolution dated April 21, which reaffirmed the commission’s earlier decision to disqualify NOW Telecom from the 3G frequency assignment because of unpaid supervision and regulation fees and spectrum user fees.
The commission stated that it will enforce the collection of the outstanding supervision and regulation fee liabilities, which have accumulated to P3.77 billion as of September 30, 2025, inclusive of penalties.
A court ruling in 2023 highlighted that NOW Telecom, formerly Next Mobile, Inc., had an unpaid supervision and regulation fee of P126.09 million and a spectrum user fee of P9.67 million as of December 2005.
The dispute arose when the company argued that additional paid‑in capital from a debt‑to‑equity conversion should not be factored into the supervision and regulation fee calculation.
The court held that the conversion increased the company’s capital stock, which is treated as paid stock, and therefore the amounts should be included in the fee computation.
The resolution also ordered the immediate issuance of a final judgment in the consolidated cases involving NOW Telecom.
The decision underscores the regulatory framework governing telecommunications operators and the enforcement of fee obligations.
