Telecocompanies lauded the government’s efforts to expedite the approval process of permits needed to build more cell sites nationwide.
“We appreciate the efforts being done by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to fast track the permits needed to build cell sites and roll out fiber,” Yolanda Crisanto, senior vice president for Corporate Communications, said in a text message.
“This is really a step change from where we were before so there is reason to be optimistic,” she added.
During late Monday night's address to the nation, Año said some 1,502 applications from telecommunication firms had been approved by the LGUs.
These account for more than 75 percent of the 1,930 applications submitted to 80 LGUs.
Crisanto said Globe was awaiting the update of the government about the approved applications of Globe to build towers.
Ramon Isberto, spokesperson of PLDT Group, said the changes in common tower policy make the common tower companies to work faster and “that will help us too.”
“We are now working with six common tower builders and talking with several more,” he added.
The DICT earlier issued a joint memorandum circular to remove red tape by streamlining the procedures and requirements for permits, licenses, clearances, certificates and other requirements in the construction of shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructures or common towers, reducing processing time from 200 days to just 16 days.
The Philippine needs at least 50,000 cellular towers to be able to have the proper coverage and provide adequate service.
There are only around 16,000 towers, covering 8,000 locations.
Duterte, in his fifth State of the Nation Address, called on concerned companies and agencies, including the DICT, to implement appropriate measures to boost connectivity, promote electronic governance (e-governance), utilize ICT for education and toughen up the country’s cybersecurity.