The Department of Information and Communications Technology and other government agencies signed a joint memorandum circular to streamline the requirements and reduce procedural delays in securing the necessary permits for the construction of shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructure.
The JMC complements DICT’s recently issued Department Circular No. 008 series 2020, which provides for guidelines on shared PTTI or the common tower policy.
It aims to encourage the growth and development of independent tower companies as a pioneering sector for the development of a robust ICT environment, in line with the overall objective of enhancing wireless network coverage and quality of ICT services across the country.
“The signing of the guidelines is a significant step in addressing the nation’s connectivity needs that have become more immediate because of the pandemic. The deployment of common towers, particularly in unserved and underserved areas, will improve not only internet condition, but also socio-economic welfare through ICT,” DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said.
“One of the key reasons for our country’s slow deployment rate of telecommunication towers has been the red tape associated with its permitting requirements. With the passing of this JMC, ITCs will be unburdened with the multiple permitting requirements and can focus on the accelerated roll-out of PTTIs across the country,” he said.
The guidelines aim to shorten the entire timeline to a target period of 16 days, from the original period of over 200 days for constructing PTTIs by mobile network operators and ITCs duly registered with the DICT to facilitate the accelerated rollout of telecommunications infrastructure.
Other signatories of JMC were the Anti-Red Tape Authority, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.