NOW Telecom taps AboitizInfra for rollout of common towers

MANILA, Philippines — NOW Telecom Co. Inc., which is positioning as the country’s potential fourth major telecommunications player, is boosting its plans to provide 5G as it forged ties with the Aboitiz Group for telecommunications infrastructure.

NOW Telecom, together with affiliate and listed firm NOW Corp., signed a memorandum of understanding with Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. and Frontier Tower Associates Management Pte. to support the government’s common tower initiatives.

The parties agreed to discuss and negotiate the lease of build-to-suit sites, towers, and passive telecommunications infrastructure and facilities that will be made available for the installation of NOW’s facilities and equipment in order to provide telecommunications and internet services.

The parties also intend to collaborate on utilizing existing assets of the Aboitiz Group that will strengthen and support NOW Telecom’s nationwide expansion.

“We welcome the government’s initiative to foster tower sharing because it reduces the cost of deployment, while also accelerating the network rollout as ‘difficult or costly to acquire’ sites become feasible as the cost is shared among operators,”  NOW Telecom president Rodolfo Pantoja said.  

“We started our engagement with the Aboitiz Group for the provision of broadband connectivity to Union Bank of the Philippines. We are happy to explore more opportunities with Aboitiz and its partner, Frontier Tower Associates, in key areas such as shared infrastructure,” Pantoja said.

Aboitiz InfraCapital and Frontier Tower have earlier teamed up for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a common tower network in the country.

Together, they aim to provide passive wireless communications infrastructure, such as towers, poles, for the use of wireless companies and internet service providers such as NOW.

The tandem earlier secured common tower deals with the country’s two largest telecommunication firms, Globe and Smart, and is also working on an agreement with new major player Dito Telecommunity.

“We are very pleased to work with NOW Telecom and NOW Corp. on this engagement, which brings us even closer to our goal of building up the country’s connectivity by implementing tower sharing. This is very much in line with Aboitiz InfraCapital’s commitment to advance the digitalization of business and communities through relevant infrastructure-solutions,” Aboitiz InfraCapital COO Cosette Canilao said.