MANILA - DITO Telecommunity on Wednesday said phone models that are not on its list of compatible devices have not undergone tests and may have "unforeseen technical issues" accessing its network.

DITO recently released a partial list of compatible phones whose manufacturers have conducted "collaborative" tests with the telco and are 100 percent compatible with its network.

The new telco, which rolled out services in 15 areas in Visayas and Mindanao, can only serve those within the covered areas and those with compatible handsets.

Netizens were quick to point out that DITO's list of compatible phones include only select models of MyPhone, Samsung, Huawei, TCL, Cherry Mobile, Oppo and Vivo. Apple's iPhone was not part of the list as of March 8, 2021.

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In a hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Services, DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago clarified that the list was not meant to be restrictive, but was meant instead to boost the confidence of users.

"The compatibility list, those models that we’re included in our compatibility list have undergone a collaborative test with the manufacturers of their compatibility to our network," Santiago said.

"Because this is collaborative, we are assured that the manufacturers are confident that the brands have undergone this testing are 100 percent compatible," he added.

Democracy.net.ph co-founder Engineer Pierre Tito Galla, who was at the hearing, said the compatibility issue stems from DITO's lack of 2G frequencies.

Phone models older than 2014 are probably incompatible because they do not have 4G and LTE capabilities, he said. These are usually the phones used by class D and class E members of the population, he added.

But "there is nothing to worry about" when it comes to compatibility if consumers are using smartphones, Galla said.

Galla said iPhone users might also be able to use DITO SIM even if they're not listed as compatible.

"Phones that are older than 2014, 2015 about that time, will probably not be compatible because they do not carry a technology known as voice-over LTE, but the smartphones are newer now have that technology," Galla said.

Users can purchase SIM from its online channel and other authorized dealers.

After its March 8 commercial launch, there have been a total of 22,748 signups which almost 30 percent were qualified to use its network, chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

DITO now covers over 37.5 percent of the population based on its first technical audit and is on track to meet its second year target of covering 51 percent of the population.

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