cell towers

House Bill 10388, which was approved on third reading in the last Congress but fell short of reaching the bicameral level, sought to require developers to properly provision ICT facilities for telcos, removing a hurdle they would often face in building cell sites.

Smart VP and head of regulatory affairs Roy D. Ibay said the prevalence of “arbitrary” regulatory fees imposed by some LGUs such as tower fees, inspection fees, and audit fees continue to be "major roadblocks for ICT growth."

Globe said several LGUs in NCR, Negros Oriental, Bulacan, Cebu, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur and Cagayan still have locational clearances, conformity to local zoning ordinances, Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution, Neighbors Consent, and Barangay Resolution as requirements for granting the permits to build new cell sites.

Earlier this month, Makati, Manila, Marikina, Calamba, Tagaytay City and Legazpi in Albay were the first LGUs to set up their one-stop shop for permitting requirements of telcos.

Globe said it was able to build 500 cell towers in 2018. A year later, the company doubled its rollouts with 1,100 new sites. Even with the pandemic this year, the telco said it remains on target to rollout 1,300 sites this year.

Local telcos Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have released an update on their infrastructure rollout, a few months after the government reduced the number of days and requirements for building cellular sites.

The local telcos were ordered to provide the NTC every six hours with updates on restoration activities of their respective networks and facilities, as well as a timeline for the full restoration of services.

Smart has also tapped six tower companies to build the initial batch of 180-200 common towers in support of the government’s common tower policy.

The DICT and the NTC recently asked the DPWH to amend a Department Order that prohibits posts and towers for cable of phones and mobile service providers along national roads.

Globe Telecom said on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that residents of Acropolis Greens subdivision in Quezon City may experience telecom service degradation after its homeowners association rejected the company’s plan to install a cell tower inside the exclusive village.