American firm SBA Communications Corp. is investing P10.76 billion for its project to build a total of 1,470 telecommunications towers in the country over a five-year period.
Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, who recently met with SBA officials in Washington DC, said the Board of Investments approved SBA’s project registration last year, but only revealed the project Monday, April 25.
In a statement from Washington DC. Lopez said that SBA has set up its Passive Telecommunications Towers Infrastructure project in the country in 2021. The company’s application for registration with BOI was approved on 31 March 2021 under a Pioneer status with a total project cost of P10.76B and 353 estimated employment. For its project, SBA intended to install a total of 1,470 tower structures in the country within five years.
While in Washington, Lopez met with SBA Senior Director (International) Nicholas Van Slyck and Senior Director (Government and Regulatory affairs) Maria Alexandra Velez on 20 April 2022 to discuss the US company’s ongoing expansion in the country, which includes the incorporation of their local entity in the Philippines as they started hiring local staff in local offices.
During the meeting, Lopez said that Van Slyck mentioned the company’s goal of building 180 telecommunication towers in 2022 and its talks with mobile network operators Smart, Globe, and Dito, which have been very receptive to SBA’s shared tower model. At present, the company has installed 20 towers and is expecting to build 42 more by the end of the quarter.
Lopez assured SBA of the Philippine government’s steadfast support for their continued construction and operations in the Philippines as a provider of critical passive infrastructure for wireless communications or Independent Tower Company (ITC).
“As the Philippines is in the middle of updating its digital infrastructure, we welcome SBA's continued expansion in the country, which will create more jobs while enhancing competition that will lead to better and more affordable telecommunication services for the people,” Lopez said in a statement.
Van Slyck also commended the process of obtaining business permits in the country, highlighting that it has been much easier now and that dealing with the Philippines “really stands out.” He also noted the strong government support to the business sector, which they said should be carried on to the next administration.
SBA also noted the strong government support to the business sector, which they said should be carried on to the next administration.
The trade chief remained optimistic about the country's growth trajectory and expects even more Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to come in. He noted that FDIs in the current administration have tripled compared to previous years. The Philippines is currently 4th in FDIs in ASEAN, with an annual average of $85 billion from an average of $60 billion in the previous administration.
“There is a strong connectivity demand in the country as Filipinos spend more time online than any other country in ASEAN and most other countries in the world. The government and the telco players are working hand-in-hand to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and next-generation platforms that are expected to boost production, improve productivity and enhance the country's competitiveness,” Lopez explained.
The meeting was also attended by Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head and Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon.