Towercos told to register

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday asked the 23 independent tower companies (ITC) to complete their full registration by yearend to avert a forfeiture of their licenses.

Out of the 23 ITCs, 10 have existing agreements with telecom operators and all operate using provisional certificates.

Forfeiture would hamper their telco tower rollout especially at this time when the telcos need to improve its telecommunication service is

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The DICT has issued certificates of registration to the 23 provisional ITCs with prior memorandum of understanding or memorandum of agreement (MOU/MOA) with the agency.

ITCs with existing MOU/MOA are deemed registered under DICT Department Circular 008, or the Policy Guidelines on the Co-Location and Sharing of Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure for Macro Cell Sites, provided they promptly file their complete documentary requirements and pay the necessary processing fees for full registration as an ITC.

DICT said the provisional certificate is valid until Dec. 31, 2020, and may be forfeited if the ITC fails to complete the registration during the period.

The provisional certificate serves as the provisional authority to own, construct, manage and operate one or more passive telecommunications towers infrastructures.

But full registration will grant the towercos an ITC certificate of registration that is valid for five years and renewable for the same period, ensuring sustained operations.

“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,” Gregorio Honasan II, DICT secretary, said.

“We have to be diligent to ensure capacity of certified ITCs and we need to balance diligence with the urgency to improve our current ICT infrastructure,” Honasan added.

Meanwhile, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. are expected to speed up their network expansion with the government’s support to streamline the process in getting permits to build towers.

Smart said it has obtained a total of 211 building and preconstruction permits from the government since the Anti-Red Tape Authority issued its Joint Memorandum Circular in August this year.

Globe meanwhile said it is on track to build over 1,000 cellsites towers nationwide of which 900 from five towers companies and 180 will be build by the company.

Globe said it will further speed up network improvement until the yeaend with the recent signing of Bayanihan Act 2 which was signed over the weekend as this provides the temporary suspension of requirements.

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