Smart identifies initial 70 sites for common towers

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. has identified over 70 sites for the first batch of common towers.

After evaluating the list of available sites offered by the tandem of Malaysia-based tower provider edotco Group Sdn Bhd and Filipino firm ISOC Infrastructure Inc., Smart said it has initially identified 71 sites where the cell towers that fit within its network will be built.

The agreement with the edotco-ISOC tandem is the first memorandum of understanding signed by Smart in line with the common tower initiative of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to accelerate the roll-out of cellular network facilities throughout the country.

Under the agreement, Smart will co-locate its mobile phone network facilities in towers jointly built by edotco in partnership with ISOC.

“Our agreement with the edotco-ISOC Group is a welcome development that will enable us to roll out our LTE, and, soon, our 5G base stations in a quicker and more cost-effective manner,” PLDT and Smart chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said. 

“We will thus be able to bring more advanced mobile phone services and faster internet to people in more parts of the country more expeditiously,” Pangilinan said.

Smart is in discussions with other common tower companies as part of its selection process, and intends to sign agreements with companies that meet the company’s requirements and completion timetable.

ISOC chairman Michael Cosiquien said the agreement with Smart opens a breadth of many possibilities, particularly with the Philippines gearing up for 5G and other advanced cellular network technologies.

“The common tower initiative, a global practice, allows telcos to invest in cutting-edge technologies that would enable them to offer an advanced mobile phone and internet services and to connect millions of Filipinos with the rest of the world,” he said.

Suresh Sidhu, chief executive officer of edotco Group, said infrastructure sharing has proven to help mobile network operators alleviate the cost of building and maintaining towers and also allows them to focus on their core business and service offerings.

“Building shareable infrastructure helps address the country’s digital gap, creating the right environment for the nation’s digital transformation, and we are pleased to be marking this partnership with Smart in the Philippines,” Sidhu said.

ISOC, a Filipino-owned company, is internationally recognized for its investments in property development and management, cold chain logistics, and infrastructure.