Section 1Sec./Art. 1

Nature and Scope of Franchise.

Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations on public telecommunications, the Bell Telecommunication Philippines, Inc., its successors or assigns, and hereunder referred to as the grantee, is hereby granted the right, privilege, and authority to carry on the business of providing telecommunications services in and between provinces, cities, and municipalities in the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries and territories and, for this purpose, to establish, operate, manage, lease, maintain and purchase telecommunications systems, including mobile, cellular and wired or wireless telecommunications systems, fiber optics, satellite transmit and receive systems, and other telecommunications systems and their value-added services such as, but not limited to, transmission of voice, data, facsimile, control signals, audio and video, information service bureau, and all other telecommunications systems technologies as are at present available or be made available through technical advances or innovations in the future, or construct, acquire, lease and operate or manage transmitting and receiving stations and switching stations, both for local and international services, lines, cables or systems, as is, or are, convenient or essential to efficiently carry out the purposes of this franchise.