RP telephones up ten-fold

RP telephones up ten-fold

MANILA, Philippines (AP): The liberalization of the
telecommunications industry has increased the number of telephone
lines in the Philippines by ten-fold in the past five years, the
government reported on Saturday.

There were 7 million phone lines this year, up from 700,000 in
1993, and the number of telephones per 100 people rose to 9.6
from 1.2, the Department of Transportation and Communication
said.

Department undersecretary Josefina Lichauco was quoted as
saying that the rate of increase of telephones in the Philippines
is the fastest in the world, next only to China.

"Our Filipino entrepreneurs, in strategic joint ventures with
foreign investors, have been aggressive in their
telecommunications ventures to catapult the country into the 21st
century," Ms. Lichauco told an industry group recently.