DICT draft bill seeks to open villages, subdivisions to telco infrastructure

To improve telecommunications services in the country, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has drafted a measure allowing telecom firms to construct cell sites inside private villages and subdivisions.

"Right now, homeowners associations should give their consent before a cell site will be put up inside a village. But most of these homeowners ayaw na magtayo ng cell site inside their backyard for one reason or another," National Telecommunications Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said on the second day of the Philippine Telecoms Summit 2017 in Pasay City.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is an attached agency of the DICT.

"The problem, however, is that the people inside the villages are the first ones to complain sa lack of connectivity at sa quality of service. So that's the problem: ayaw nilang magpapasok ng infrastructure, but they want good service," Cordoba emphasized.

The NTC official cited a report by telecommunications companies during a Senate hearing on September 8, 2016, conducted by the Committee on Trade and Economic Reforms.

"Telco companies reported, among other things, that the objection to the installation of cell sites is a stumbling block in telcos' roll out of much needed infrastructure aimed at improving internet speed and mobile connectivity," Cordoba said.

To address the issue, a draft legislative measure will be submitted to the Senate and House of Representatives for possible sponsorship.

"The draft bill is titled, 'An Act Strengthening the Vital Role of Information and Communications Technology, Amending for the Purpose Pertinent Provisions of Presidential Decree 957, also known as the Subdivision and Condominium Buyers' Protective Decree, as amended by Presidential Decree 1216," Cordoba said.

One of the salient features of the measure junks the nod of approval by homeowners associations when it comes to using "utility space" for telecommunications facilities, infrastructure and other similar facilities and amenities.

The bill defines "utility space" as an area reserved exclusively for utilities such as water, power and telecommunications.

"Therefore, it shall be the duty of the developers that brokers, salespersons, and dealers are aware of the location of the utility space and such information is properly disseminated to their prospective buyers," Cordoba said.

The measure also mandates developers to reserve utility space for telecommunications facilities and infrastructure.

To underscore the importance of building more cell sites, ICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima earlier said the Philippines only has 16,300 cell sites compared with 70,000 in Vietnam and 86,000 in Indonesia.

"The tragedy is that the most noisy ones are those who come from subdivisions which do not allow the telcos to come in," Salalima said, citing fears of some gated communities that radiation from communication towers causes cancer.

The ICT chief, however, downplayed such notion as mere "misconception ... Towers' radiation does not induce sickness," he said.

"Being near a cell tower does not cause cancer," he emphasized. — VDS, GMA News