With the pandemic still upon us and the need for faster and reliable internet connection at an all-time high, PLDT, the largest telco provider in the Philippines, together with Smart, its wireless subsidiary, sign agreements with six tower companies to roll out 180 to 200 cell sites. Though the deal will allow for the improvement and development of physical towers, among others, PLDT-Smart Public Affairs Head, Ramon Isberto, admitted that they are still testing the waters and “want to see how it actually operates”
Isberto failed to mention the identities of the six common tower companies; however, he welcomed the Department Circular (DC) No. 008, series 2020. As per the Department of Information and Communications Technology(DICT), the Common Tower Policy complies with the directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to process the immediate issuance of the Department’s common tower policy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the policy, the DICT encourages the growth and development of Independent Tower Companies (ITCs) as a pioneering sector for the birth and development of a robust ICT environment of Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructures (PTTIs) in line with the overall objective of enhancing wireless network coverage and quality of ICT services across the entire country. It seeks to widen the base of tower providers to fast-track the deployment of Shared PTTIs across all regions of the country, especially in the unserved and underserved areas.
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