THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday asked local government units as well as homeowners associations to ease the permitting requirements and streamline procedures to help the telcos and internet service providers fast-track the rollout of cell sites and other ICT infrastructure in their areas.
“Internet access has become an essential utility in our collective efforts to significantly improve the public health situation,” Gregorio Honasan II, DICT secretary, said.
“With that in mind, we should keep working together for the continued improvement of our internet connectivity infrastructure,” he added.
The DICT has also appealed to all checkpoint officials and other entities enforcing the quarantine to ensure unhampered movement of ICT personnel and equipment of telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable television providers, including those who perform indirect services such as technical, sales and other support personnel, as well as their third-party contractors doing sales, installation, maintenance and repair works.
“Responding to our countrymen’s increased demand for connectivity is one of the President’s core priorities, and we encourage the accelerated rollout of more telco sites to promptly improve internet access,” Honasan said.
The advisory is in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Resolution No. 30 and Office of the President’s Executive Order No. 112, which confirmed and adopted the IATF-MEID’s Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines.
