DICT releases guidelines on telco common tower

By EMMIE V. ABADILLA The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday released its Guidelines for the Common Tower Policy deemed vital to the telco industry. To date, a total of twenty-four Independent Tower Companies (ITCs) are under the previous common tower issuance. The current Department Circular (DC) No. 008, s. 2020 is known as the “Policy on Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTIs).” Under this guidelines, the DICT encourages the development of ITCs to improve wireless network coverage in unserved and underserved areas as well as quality of ICT services nationwide. It also details the registration process for ITCs with the DICT. All entities engaged in the business of constructing, managing or operating one or more PTTIs in the Philippines are required to register with the DICT. The department shall issue an ITC Certificate of Registration, valid for five years and renewable for the same period, to qualified applicants. The ITCs should have relevant construction experience, registration, license and financial capacity of, or equivalent to, a contractor falling under Category A of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board to qualify. All PTTIs built or renovated after the issuance of the DICT policy shall provide ample access slots for all telcos and the DICT to co-locate their antennas, receivers, transmitters, radio frequency modules and other radio communications equipment. The use of shared PTTIs will help accelerate the implementation of the Free Public Internet Access Program, the DICT noted. Furthermore, all private sector PTTI sharing agreements should be fair and non-exclusive by offering all telcos the same reasonably equivalent terms, conditions, and charges for co-locating or sharing. The policy allows co-location of PTTIs in the same or nearby sites to meet all existing and future demands for connectivity. Barangays, Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies, and Homeowners Associations shall follow the mandated maximum time period for the issuance of necessary permits, clearances, and certifications. This is in accordance with the “Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018”. The propagation of Shared PTTIs should provide generate jobs and economic activity, especially in unserved and underserved areas. The guideline promotes increased local participation to address the acute need for Shared PTTIs in each region. “Finalizing this policy addresses the nation’s connectivity needs made more immediate by the pandemic,” DICT Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II underscored. “We aim to improve, not only the internet condition, but also the state of the country’s socio-economic welfare through ICT in support of the President’s Balik Probinsya, Balik Pag-Asa Program,” he added.