Section 1Sec./Art. 1

Nature and Scope of Franchise. - Subject to the provisions of the Philippine Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, the franchise granted to Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) under Republic Act No. 4339, as amended by Republic Act No. 7225 and hereunder referred to as the grantee, to construct, establish, install, maintain, lease, purchase, operate and carry on a private telecommunications or electronic communications services throughout the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries and territories, including outer space as public interest may warrant, for domestic and international telecommunications is hereby extended for twenty-five (25) years from the effectivity of this Act.

For this purpose, the grantee is hereby bestowed the right to construct, establish, install, maintain, lease, purchase, and operate the corresponding transmitting and receiving stations, satellites, lines, systems, networks, international gateways, local exchanges, and platforms as it may consider necessary, convenient or reasonable.

In this Act, the term "telecommunications" shall include "electronic telecommunications". In addition, as used in this Act:

(a) Electronic communications network shall refer to: (1) a transmission system for conveyance by use of electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic energy, of signals of any description; and (2) any of the following as are used, by the person providing the system and in association with it, for conveyance of the signals: (i) apparatus comprised in the system; (ii) an apparatus used for the switching and routing of the signals; and (iii) software and stored data.

(b) Electronic communications service shall refer to services that are principally conveyed by means of an electronic communications network of signals. It includes wired, wireless, fixed, cellular, and/or mobile, or integrated telecommunications, computer, electronic services, including value-added services, or technologies related to such service which are at present available or made available through technological advances or innovations in the future, and fixed and mobile stations.