DICT to issue permits for new cell sites within 3 months
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) targets to issue permits to tower building companies in three months or less to expedite the construction of new cell sites.
DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said in a press conference on Thursday, June 27 that their department is targeting to “have all the permits by two months or three months… to be more efficient in coming up with towers faster.”
Rio also mentioned the creation of a task force for the establishment of a one-stop shop that will process the issuance of permits to the tower providers.
DICT aims to build at least 50,000 cell towers through partnerships among telcos and tower providers. It has signed agreements with 23 tower companies to build the said number of cell towers within seven to ten years.
Globe Telecom, a major telco firm, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ISOC Infrastructure Inc. and Malaysia-based edotco Group Sdn Bhd. to build 150 cell sites within the Calabarzon region, in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.
The MOU states that ISOC and edotco will build and co-own the towers, which will then be leased by Globe to other telcos such as PLDT Inc. and Mislatel.
The DICT expects the initial set of common towers to be constructed within the next five months.
