NTC issues RapidPass guidelines for telcos

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued the guidelines on the implementation of the RapidPass system for the telecoms sector.

This sector includes public telecommunication entities, internet service providers (ISP), value-added service providers, as well as cable TV networks and other pay TV services, and their third-party contractors.

Under the NTC’s Memorandum Order 06-04-2020, these entities should make a bulk application for their essential and skeleton workforce. Individual applications filed directly to the RapidPass website by those in the covered entities will be denied.

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The companies are required to accomplish a spreadsheet, RapidPass form and an attestation form.

NTC’s regulation branch or Broadcast Services Division shall verify the completeness of the applications, ensure the personnel listed are appropriately considered as allowed persons outside of residence, and determine the appropriate number of RapidPasses to be issued.

Once approved, the RapidPass forms shall be uploaded to the RapidPass system for processing and RapidPass QR code generation.

Conceptualized by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID), the RapidPass system is the government’s initiative to speed up checking of identities of frontliners and authorized personnel, and to lessen person-to-person contact at designated checkpoints.

The system employs QR codes and control numbers as checkpoint passes.

“Internet and mobile services have become indispensable in our daily lives during this community quarantine. With RapidPass, we hope to fast track movement and access of telco and ISP personnel so that they may continue to do their duties, especially in ensuring unhampered services to the Filipino people,” said Gregorio Honasan II, secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

“This in line with the objectives set forth by the President through the IATF-MEID, for unhampered transport of goods and services while observing the guidelines of social distancing during the ECQ, as we prepare for the new norm,” Honasan added.

So far, the RapidPass system is only operational in the National Capital Region.

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