The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has licensed 23 tower companies to ramp up the roll-out of common towers in the country, the agency announced.
DICT issued the Provisional Independent Tower Company (ITC) Certificates of Registration to ITCs with prior Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement with the agency.
The provisional certificate serves as the provisional authority to own, construct, manage, and operate one or more Passive Telecommunications Towers Infrastructure.
"This should provide the ITCs with ample time to complete all the requirements for full ITC registration and permitting within the time period," DICT Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said.
"This should also provide enough time for ITCs to start their roll-out,” he added.
The 24 (now 23, after consolidation of 2 companies) ITCs with existing MOUs/MOAs are deemed registered under DICT Department Circular 008 (s.2020), the Policy Guidelines on the Co-Location and Sharing of Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure for Macro Cell Sites.
This is provided that the ITCs promptly file their complete documentary requirements and pay the processing fees for full registration as an ITC.
The provisional certificates are valid until December 31, 2020.
“We need these tower companies to continue mobilizing and building out towers now, that’s why we granted them this provisional certificate to ease their transition under the new circular,” Honasan reiterated.
The ITC Certificate of Registration issued by the DICT is valid for five years and renewable for the same period.
The 23 ITCs with Provisional ITC Certificates of Registration include Aboitiz Infracapital, Inc., ACODA Towers SDN BHD, Alt-Global-Solutions Inc., Transcend Towers Infrastructure (Philippines), Inc., China Construction First Group Corp. and Wingan Construction and Development Corporation, China Construction Yangtze River (M) SDN BHD ,China Energy Equipment Co., Ltd, CREI Management Services FZE, Desarrollos Terrestres, Inc., EEI Corporation, Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc., IHS Holding Limited, Inforient Sdn. Bhd., ISOC EDOTCO Towers, Inc., ISON Tower Ltd. Inc., J.S Cruz Construction and Development Inc., MGS Construction Inc., Phil-Tower Consortium Inc., RT Telecom SDN. BHD, Shinheung Telecom Co., Ltd., Tamoin Industrial Services Corporation, Tiger Infrastructure Pte. Ltd., UA Withya Public Company Ltd.