Gov't plans common towers for telecommunications firms
Published Feb 8, 2018 11:08 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
The government is considering the deployment of government troops to guard the planned common towers aimed to improve telecommunication services in the country.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the common tower initiative was discussed during the Cabinet meeting last Monday following the telcos' difficulties in getting local permits and ensuring security of cell towers.
Photo via Wikimedia/Manila Bulletin
Under the common tower proposal, telcos would no longer build individual cell sites and instead share a common infrastructure.
"Napag-usapan din, sa Gabinete ay iyong adbokasiya nga natin na magkaroon ng common tower kasi ang mga telcos, marami silang mga complaints na mahirap magpakabit ng tore kasi pinapahirapan sila ng LGU. Marami pa. Marami pang mga rason kung bakit hindi nakakapagtayo ng tore o cell site ng telco--napakamahal, maraming balakid ," Andanar said in a radio interview.
"So iyong common tower, gobyerno iyong magtatayo ng common tower, tapos maglalagay na lang doon iyong Globe, lahat. Nababantayan pa ng sundalo ” he added.
Presidential Assistant for Information and Communications Technology Ramon Jacinto recently announced the proposed common tower policy to address the backlog in telco infrastructure. The country reportedly needed 50,000 towers for better coverage, from the current 16,000.
Andanar, meantime, downplayed speculations that China might spy on the country if it becomes the third telco player in the country.
He noted majority of the country's towers and mobile networks are already run by Chinese company Huawei.
Andanar said whether the third telco player comes from China, the United States, South Korea or Europe is not important as long as the company can offer better services compared with the two existing local telco giants.
He said the third telco player is expected to invest around P300 billion to P400 billion to offer phone and internet services across the country.
"Siyempre kailangan mong i-cover ang buong Pilipinas at masolusyunan nga ang problema sa number one, iyong dropped calls; number two iyoing bilis ng internet; number three iyong mga areas na walang serbisyo ang Globe and Smart ," he said.
Photo via Wikimedia/Manila Bulletin
Under the common tower proposal, telcos would no longer build individual cell sites and instead share a common infrastructure.
"Napag-usapan din, sa Gabinete ay iyong adbokasiya nga natin na magkaroon ng common tower kasi ang mga telcos, marami silang mga complaints na mahirap magpakabit ng tore kasi pinapahirapan sila ng LGU. Marami pa. Marami pang mga rason kung bakit hindi nakakapagtayo ng tore o cell site ng telco--napakamahal, maraming balakid ," Andanar said in a radio interview.
"So iyong common tower, gobyerno iyong magtatayo ng common tower, tapos maglalagay na lang doon iyong Globe, lahat. Nababantayan pa ng sundalo ” he added.
Presidential Assistant for Information and Communications Technology Ramon Jacinto recently announced the proposed common tower policy to address the backlog in telco infrastructure. The country reportedly needed 50,000 towers for better coverage, from the current 16,000.
Andanar, meantime, downplayed speculations that China might spy on the country if it becomes the third telco player in the country.
He noted majority of the country's towers and mobile networks are already run by Chinese company Huawei.
Andanar said whether the third telco player comes from China, the United States, South Korea or Europe is not important as long as the company can offer better services compared with the two existing local telco giants.
He said the third telco player is expected to invest around P300 billion to P400 billion to offer phone and internet services across the country.
"Siyempre kailangan mong i-cover ang buong Pilipinas at masolusyunan nga ang problema sa number one, iyong dropped calls; number two iyoing bilis ng internet; number three iyong mga areas na walang serbisyo ang Globe and Smart ," he said.