THE government is targeting to build an average of 5,000 new telecommunication towers per year in the next three years to help improve internet services in the country.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) made the recommendation during the Cabinet meeting on Monday.
He said DICT set the new target due to the still low number of towers in the country, which are vital to millions of internet users.
Another proposed DICT measure which was approved by Duterte is the drafting of a Joint Memorandum Circular, which aims to ease the regulatory burdens for the installation of fiber optic cables, common poles, and in-building solutions.
DICT earlier said the lack of available fiber optic cables in the country is another hindrance to local internet access.
Also given the go-ahead by the President is the giving of provisional approval for Right of Way (ROW) for DICT infrastructure projects, specifically the National Broadband Phase 1 and Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI); allowing telecommunication
companies (telcos) to continue work during emergencies; and issuance of a memorandum circular to effect separate health protocols for telco manpower.
DICT is also pushing for a fixed table of regulatory, installation and repair fees imposed by local government units (LGU) on information communication technology infrastructure, as well as for local authorities to streamline requirements and procedures for processing permit application by telcos and issuance of Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection (CFEI).
Nograles said the government hopes these measures will improve internet connection in the country as more Filipino become dependent on it for their work, livelihood and education, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While we have had some good news on this front, with the country now ranked 86th up from 100 in the Speedtest Global Index, the pandemic just emphasized how much work must be done in order to address the increasing demand for ICT infrastructure,” Nograles said during an online press briefing on Tuesday.