Buildup of telco towers on DICT’s radar

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines, has launched a close monitoring initiative called “Telecom Tower Watch” to address delays in the building of digital infrastructure amid soaring demand for broadband services.

In a recent online forum organized by think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) on “Building Digital Infrastructure for a Digital Philippines,” Stratbase ADRi president Dindo Manhit said Telecom Tower Watch is a multi-sectoral initiative to help push the development of digital infrastructure in the Philippines and promote the transparency and accountability of all relevant parties in accelerating the pace of building telecommunication towers nationwide.”

“Building a robust broadband backbone is a long-term infrastructure asset that will boost the country’s competitiveness in an emerging digital economy and indispensable, not just to survive this crisis, but to rebound and push for an acceptable pace of recovery,” Manhit said.

In his keynote message, DICT Undersecretary Emmanuel Caintic said the current digital infrastructure “is still not enough to realize an affordable and fast internet connectivity.”

“One of the major issues we have identified is the regulatory constraints that hinder telecommunications companies to further invest in infrastructure of the country.”

In line with the initiative, Caintic said DICT would launch an online portal to assure that registration of companies engaged in the business of establishing or operating the shared cell towers are properly monitored for all parties concerned.

“The system shall present dashboards that showcase the status of each registration and application submitted so they will actually know which particular application is getting stranded at which particular point, and which agency all the way to the area and to the location,” Caintic said.

In the same forum, Globe Telecom VP for site acquisition and management Vince Tempongko said telcos, in general, “have already been spending close to half their revenues. We will need help of the government to fast-track even further our requirements.”

Smart Communications VP for regulatory affairs Roy Ibay pointed out several problems regarding local governments despite the directives of the Joint Memorandum Circular and Bayanihan 2 to speed up permitting timelines.

“Some local government units (LGUs) are still imposing unjust, excessive, oppressive, and confiscatory regulatory fees. When you protest, they basically use that non-payment of this regulatory fees to withhold issuance of building and other local permits,” he said.

He pointed out that some LGUs and barangays continue to impose requirements and fees counter to the provisions under the Joint Memorandum Circular on Power Permitting and the Bayanihan Act II law.

CitizenWatch Philippines convenor Orlando Oxales said that the Telecom Tower Watch project will establish a regular venue for close monitoring and troubleshooting of unnecessary delays in the building of all telecommunications towers and related projects.

“Telecom Tower Watch will have an online awareness campaign and a series of consultative meetings that would gather government, private sector, and other stakeholders to tackle issues, find solutions, and align strategies towards the fast expansion and upgrading of the country’s digital infrastructure,” he said.

“Telecom Tower Watch will make these processes transparent to the public. If there are parties that are causing undue delay, getting that out to the public is in itself a big deterrent,” Oxales said.