TRUMP 1.0 Administration – The Clean Network
Former US Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim, initially briefed the NOW Group on the Clean Network Program initiated by the Trump Administration in 2017. Ambassador Kim’s insights and guidance motivated the NOW Group to prioritize the protection of critical infrastructures from untrusted networks. This pivotal moment set the stage for NOW Group’s ongoing commitment to securing digital infrastructures in the Indo-Pacific region.
The US GOV, Thru USTDA, Intends to partner…
“The United States and the Philippines enjoy an alliance and partnership based on deep historical, economic, and cultural ties, and our shared democratic values. The United States and the Philippines stand together as friends, partners, and allies. Now and always, the U.S. commitment to the defense of the Philippines is ironclad, and we are committed to strengthening our economic and investment relationship.”
SOURCE: WHITE HOUSE
Now Telecom partners with US government for 5G
“Now Telecom partnered with the US government to develop 5G technologies for its eventual deployment in the Philippines.
Manila Standard reported, the operator engaged with the US Trade and Development Agency for the development of the next-generation technology.”
SOURCE: DEVELOPING TELECOMS
NOW Telecom secures US grant for 5G services
“Mel Velarde’s NOW Telecom Company Inc. has pulled a huge win in its bid to offer 5G services, bagging a grant from the US government for the development of a wireless telephony network.
In a regulatory filing, NOW Corp. said that its affiliate NOW Telecom has received a grant from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for the provision of technical assistance.”
SOURCE: THE PHILIPPINE STAR
NOW Telecom gets USTDA funding for 5G project
“NOW Telecom Company Inc. has secured funding from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for the development of 5G technology as it seeks to improve connectivity services in the country.
The associate of listed NOW Corp., in a disclosure on Friday, said the grant would finance the wireless telephony network project using 5G technology to “advance critical digital infrastructure projects” in the country.”
SOURCE: PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
FACT SHEET: Advancing the Indo-Pacific Strategy
“Philippines: USTDA approved funding for technical assistance and a pilot project to support Philippines NOW Telecom Company, Inc.’s deployment of a 5G network to help meet growing household and industry demand for reliable and secure digital services in the Philippines.”
SOURCE: USTDA.GOV
PH-US trade relations to benefit from USTDA office opening
“Carlson disclosed that USTDA has signed with Bell Labs, Nokia USA, and NOW Telecom a USD1.5-million letter of intent for the Philippines on Thursday.”
SOURCE: PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
2023 Indo-Pacific Business Forum Promotes Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in the Indo-Pacific
“The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has approved funding to NOW Telecom Company, Inc. (“NOW”) for technical assistance to support the development and implementation of a fifth generation (“5G”) stand-alone network in the Philippines. The technical assistance will provide NOW with the design of a national 5G wireless and broadband network, including plans for a pilot project in Metro Manila to inform full-scale network rollout.”
SOURCE: US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Speech of Mel Velasco Velarde at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Tokyo, Japan, January 12, 2023
Good morning, honorable guests, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to acknowledge the presence of: We salute with deep gratitude the governments of the United States of America and Japan, together with 12 other significant governments, for mobilizing governments and the private sector in the name of inclusive and sustainable growth in the Indo-Pacific region. We share the aspirations of our counterparts in India who believe that 5G or quality connectivity is not for the wealthy alone but for all. NOW Telecom envisions building the widest and most secure 5G network in the Philippines and connecting all the cities and towns through a national broadband network using fiber optic, terrestrial, satellite, and other means. We share the aspirations of our counterparts in India who believe that 5G or quality connectivity is not for the wealthy alone but for all. Like much of the Indo-Pacific, many Filipino populations remain unconnected, if not insufficiently connected. Thus, we accept with much honor the United States government’s USTDA grant for the 5G pilot network deployment in Metro Manila simultaneous to the production of comprehensive studies for nationwide, countrywide deployment. We hope the learnings of this Philippine experience, in partnership with the U.S., may serve as a springboard for larger-scale Indo Pacific deployments to help bring about social and financial mobility, reduce inequality, improve health and education, and spur economic growth. We look forward to forging more partnerships under the auspices of the Indo-Pacific economic forum. I thank you. SOURCE: NOW-TELECOM
US gov’t, NOW Telecom partner for 5G deployment in PH
“The US government sealed a deal with NOW Telecom, an affiliate of media and technology holding firm NOW Corp., to expand the 5G network in the Philippines. In a disclosure on Friday, NOW Corp. said the letter of intent was signed by US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Enoh Ebong and NOW Telecom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mel Velasco Velarde during the 5th Annual Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Japan.” SOURCE: CNN PHILIPPINES
USTDA & NOW Telecom partner for 5G, NBN
“The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and NOW Telecom Company, Inc. partnered to deploy a nationwide stand-alone 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines, the local telco disclosed Friday, January 13.”
SOURCE: MANILA BULLETIN
NOW Telecom, USTDA partner to launch 5G mobile, wireless network
“NOW Telecom Company Inc., an affiliate of listed NOW Corp., said Friday it has partnered with the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for the development and deployment of its stand-alone 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines.”
SOURCE: GMA INTEGRATED NEWS
NOW Telecom plans pilot 5G network in Metro Manila with USTDA support
“In a stock market filing last week (13 January), NOW Telecom confirmed the signing of a letter of intent with USTDA during the 5th Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Tokyo, Japan, covering potential financing arrangements to fund the rollout of the project and to deliver the ‘necessary analysis, designs and plans for phased implementation of the project, and conduct a 5G pilot network at multiple sites in Metro Manila to validate network performance, test 5G use cases and provide data to inform larger scale deployment.’”
SOURCE: COMMS UPDATE
USTDA provides $2.15-M grant to PH for development of 5G mobile, broadband connectivity
US aid agency backs fourth Philippines 5G network
“The operator’s parent company, Now Corp, said in a filing that the aid would provide design and planning for the phased implementation of its 5G project, including pilots in Manila “to validate network performance, test 5G use cases, and provide data to inform larger scale deployment.” Importantly for a small and under-funded operator like Now, the aid also includes assessment of potential financing schemes including government grants, equity or debt financing and the level of interest of funding organizations.”
SOURCE: LIGHTREADING
State Dept. exec says PH needs secure telco infrastructure, grants P118-million for 5G technology
“At the conclusion of the meeting, Kritenbrink announced that the US Trade and Development Agency is providing Philippine firm NOW Telecom Company, Inc. a $2.15-million grant to fund a feasibility study for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines.”
SOURCE: GMA INTEGRATED NEWS
JOINT STATEMENT
“Both sides also committed to continue the dialogue on how to further collaborate on supply chains, including on semiconductors and green metals processing through, among others, mobilizing investments, technology transfer or adaptation, capacity building, and complementation of value chains.
The 10th BSD culminated in the announcement of a U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)/Nokia/NOW Telecom Grant that would advance 5G connectivity in the Philippines.”
SOURCE: US EMBASSY TO THE PHILIPPINES
PH, US agree to expedite completion of projects under EDCA
“At the end of the meeting, the United States government, through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced that it is providing NOW Telecom Company, Inc. a P118 million ($2.15 million) grant to fund a feasibility study “for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines.”
SOURCE: ABS-CBN
USTDA Supports 5G Deployment in the Philippines
“The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a grant to NOW Telecom Company, Inc., for a feasibility study and pilot project to support the development of a nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines. NOW Telecom has selected New Jersey-based Bell Labs Consulting, part of Bells Labs, the research arm of Nokia, to conduct the study.”
SOURCE: USTDA
CNN Philippines News Night | January 20, 2023
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US extends grant to PH telco company for 5G project, study
“The US government has given a local telco company a P118-million grant to be used for a pilot project and feasibility study aimed at developing a “reliable and secure” 5G network in the country.
The technical assistance extended by the US Trade and Development Agency to NOW Telecom was formalized during the recent Philippine visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink.”
SOURCE: PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
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U.S. PROVIDES PHP 118 MILLION GRANT TO SUPPORT 5G DEPLOYMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES
“The United States government, through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), is providing NOW Telecom Company, Inc. a Php 118 million ($2.15 million) grant to fund a feasibility study for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines.
NOW Telecom has selected New Jersey-based Bell Labs Consulting, part of Bell Labs, the research arm of Nokia, to conduct the study.”
SOURCE: US EMBASSY OF THE PHILIPPINES
U.S. Provides PHO 118 Million Grant to Support 5G Deployment in the Philippines
“The United States government, through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), is providing NOW Telecom Company, Inc. a Php 118 million ($2.15 million) grant to fund a feasibility study for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines.
NOW Telecom has selected New Jersey-based Bell Labs Consulting, part of Bell Labs, the research arm of Nokia, to conduct the study.”
SOURCE: US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND
NOW Telecom gets USTDA grant for 5G network launch
“A $1.5-million grant for the Philippines for “clean and trusted” 5G (fifth-generation) communications networks has become official with the signing of a grant agreement between the United States of America, acting through the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and NOW Telecom Co. Inc.”
SOURCE: THE MANILA TIMES
$NOW PSE Disclosure (January 23, 2022)https://t.co/glY5zuk9EM pic.twitter.com/Rallod7MxR
— NOW Corporation (@NOWCORPORATION) January 23, 2023
Grant Enables Nokia and NOW Telecom to Accelerate 5G in The Philippines
Nokia announced that NOW Telecom has selected Bell Labs Consulting, part of Nokia to create a nationwide network design for 5G Standalone (SA) and design and planning for a national broadband network. As part of the agreement, Nokia will also design and implement a pilot 5G network at multiple sites in Metro Manila. This initiative is facilitated by the grant received by NOW Telecom from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to support the development of 5G mobile and fixed wireless networks in the country. While the consulting work will start next month, the POC will be carried out in July this year.
SOURCE: PIPELINE PUB
Indo-Pacific Business Forum 2023 – Behind the scene
Mel Velarde’s NOW Group and CICC partner to strengthen cybercrime resilience
NOW Group, headed by entrepreneur Mel Velarde, has been selected by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to provide secure connectivity solutions and information and communication technology (ICT) services.
According to a regulatory filing, NOW Corp. and its affiliate, NOW Telecom, have formalized their partnership with the CICC through a memorandum of agreement.
The collaboration’s primary goal is to bolster the operational capabilities of the CICC and fulfill its mandate of enhancing the nation’s resilience against cybercrime while promoting effective management of cyber risks.
Source: Bilyonaryo
Fact Sheet: Celebrating the Strength of the U.S.-Philippines Alliance
Today, President Joseph R. Biden welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. of the Philippines back to the White House. The two Presidents marked the unprecedented strength of the Alliance between the United States and the Philippines and underscored the historic achievements in bilateral relations since they last met at the White House in May 2023. President Biden and President Marcos intend to continue the momentous investments into the special friendship between our two nations.
Cyber-Digital Cooperation: The Philippines joined the International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI), the largest cyber partnership in the world, in April 2024. The CRI builds collective resilience and helps design policy approaches to combat ransomware. The United States and the Philippines plan to hold their first bilateral Cyber-Digital Dialogue in July 2024 in Washington. This dialogue focuses on helping strengthen the Philippines’ resilience against cyber intrusions from state-backed and criminal organizations and advance an open, interoperable, secure, reliable, and trusted information communications technology ecosystem in the Philippines. Supporting this work, USTDA is providing a grant to NOW Telecom Company, Inc., for a feasibility study to help develop a secure nationwide 5G network in the Philippines utilizing equipment from trusted vendors. Also, USAID has established eight community digital networks to expand internet access to remote locations in the Philippines, bringing 1,470 households online for the first time.
Source: WHITE HOUSE
FACT SHEET: Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment at the G7 Summit
At the 2024 G7 Summit in Fasano, Italy, during the PGI Leader Forum co-hosted by the G7 Presidency and the United States, President Biden and G7 Leaders affirmed their commitment to accelerating sustainable infrastructure investment through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), the G7’s flagship infrastructure and investment initiative. This marked the third consecutive G7 side event on PGI since the G7 Leaders launched the initiative in 2022 at Elmau.
Digital: A USTDA grant is partially funding a feasibility study and pilot project for Now Telecom Company, Inc., a Philippine telecom operator, to support the development of a 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines.
Source: WHITE HOUSE
View the Murillo Velarde Map at the NLP Gallery for Free – Proof of our territorial rights lies in a 300-year-old map
“The 1734 Murillo Velarde Map was instrumental in the Philippines’ successful arbitration case against China in 2016, which led to the invalidation of China’s nine-dash line claim (now a ten-dash line in its most recent map). Now it is available for public viewing, free of charge, at the National Library of the Philippines’ newly opened Permanent Gallery in Ermita, Manila.”
SOURCE: SPOT.PH
Mapa Natin, Kwento Natin: SB19 Puts the Spotlight on Mother of All Philippine Maps
“Mapa Natin, Kwento Natin: SB19 Puts the Spotlight on Mother of All Philippine Maps
Honoring our roots and championing freedom and national pride are among the messages SB19 expresses through their art and music.
The locally and internationally acclaimed P-pop group received official replicas of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map in recognition of their advocacy for Philippine culture and heritage as National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Youth and Sentro Rizal Ambassadors, and for their contribution to raising awareness about the map.”
SOURCE: MURILLOVELARDEMAP
Turnover of the Original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map to the Republic of the Philippines
“President’s Hall, Malacañan Palace December 6, 2024.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. formally receives the original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map in a turnover ceremony at Malacañan Palace on December 6, 2024. Known as the “mother of all Philippine maps,” the map was created in 1734 by Filipino cartographer Francisco Suarez and engraved by Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay, with guidance from Spanish Jesuit Father Pedro Murillo Velarde. The map is historically important, having been mentioned in the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling in The Hague which rejected China’s claims over the West Philippine Sea and confirmed the Philippines’ sovereignty over the disputed areas. It was purchased at a London auction in 2014 by Filipino technology entrepreneur Mel Velarde, who later donated it to the Philippine Government. Also called the Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas, the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map is a lasting symbol of the country’s history.”
SOURCE: MURILLOVELARDEMAP