Globe Telecom Inc. on Thursday asked the government to institutionalize streamlined procedures to obtain permits, licenses and certifications for telecom infrastructure.
The company is a strong advocate for the extension of the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s Joint Memorandum Circular which took effect at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
The JMC enabled the company to fast-track its infrastructure buildup amid increased demand, with close to 4,500 cell sites built from 2020 to 2022, twice as fast as network builds from 2017 to 2019 and more efficiently than in previous years.
Globe, in a letter transmitted to the President by the Private Sector Advisory Council, underscored the urgency of the request.
“Institutionalizing the JMC as an Executive Order is one of the critical steps towards serving the geographically isolated areas. Hopefully, we can fulfill the President’s promise of making connectivity universal as a vital component to ensure that no citizen is left behind,” Globe Group president and chief executive Ernest Cu said. Darwin G. Amojelar