Private sector companies are speeding up the construction of telecommunication infrastructure to speed up network rollout.
Udenna Infrastructure Corp. (UIC) yesterday said it has signed P10 billion worth of deals for the construction of DITO Telecommunity’s cellular towers and fiber optic cables in the next two years.
In a separate statement, Aboitiz Group’s infrastructure arm Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. said it has ventured into small cell network business in addition to its common tower project to help further boost the country’s connectivity and network quality.
DITO, a consortium of Udenna Corp, Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure and China Telecommunications Corp., said it has tapped synergies present within the Udenna Group , FutureNet and Technology Corp., as well as third-party contractors to fastrack the network rollout.
It said it has signed a master service agreement with FutureNet and Technology for the construction of almost 1,500 towers and the laying of more than 1,400 kilometers of fiber optic cabling for a period of two years.
The third telco eyes a March 2021 launch.
DITO targets to finish the construction of 1,300 towers this month and 2,000 towers by yearend to meet the required 37 percent population coverage and 27 megabits per second internet speed on its first year of operation.
As of September 13, the company had a total of 859 base stations.
Meanwhile, Aboitiz InfraCapital said it is offering its small cell network nationwide to support telecommunication companies (telcos) and internet service providers (ISPs) with their wireless network capacity and coverage.
A small cell network is a series of small low-powered, short-ranged antennas that provide coverage and capacity, meant to work in conjunction with macro cell towers. Small cells are expected to play a key role in the deployment of fifth generation (5G), which requires antenna density to deliver larger quantities of data at higher speeds.
Similar to the common towers business model, telcos and ISPs can co-locate in Aboitiz InfraCapital’s network sites, thereby helping fast-track expansion, increase service reliability, reduce costs, and lessen redundant sites.
Rafael Aboitiz, Aboitiz InfraCapital’s small cell business general manager, said the company is ready to deploy the small cell network in high-density urban cities such as Subic, Cebu, and Davao.
Aboitiz InfraCapital has signed deals with PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. for the construction of shared tower in the country.
