Aboitiz Group eyes common tower venture

MANILA, Philippines — The Aboitiz Group is looking to join the growing pool of aspiring common tower providers in the country.

Information and Communications Technology Eliseo Rio told The STAR over the weekend that the conglomerate has expressed interest to join the government's common tower program that will accelerate development of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

The Aboitiz Group has made infrastructure as the fifth leg of its business following successful ventures in power, banking, property and food.

Through infrastructure unit Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., the group looks to develop various airports in the country and beef up its water portfolio by providing innovative infrastructure solutions.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz Construction Inc. (ACI),  together with its international arm Aboitiz Construction International Inc., serves as the construction arm of the group.

ACI has a 43-year track record in delivering projects for its various local and international customers in the power, mining, cement, shipbuilding, housing and commercial, and manufacturing industries.

Aside from the Aboitiz Group, Rio said two more parties have also signified interest in becoming a common tower provider in the country. These are American Towers and publicly-listed Transpacific Broadband Group.

Rio said signing of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the interested tower developers are expected within this month.

The DICT has so far signed MOUs with six common tower providers, which include  ISOC Infrastructures Inc., a company chaired by Megawide Construction Corp. co-founder Michael Cosiquien, ISON ECP Tower Singapore Pte. Ltd., Edotco Group Sdn Bhd and RT Telecom Sdn Bhd of Malaysia, IHS Towers, and China Energy Equipment Co. Ltd.

Under the MOUs, the interested common tower providers must first secure an agreement with at least one telecommunications operator in the country for the use of the common towers that they will build.