DICT eyes building cellular towers under PPP scheme

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is planning to build cellular towers under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme to improve internet and other wireless services in the country.

"We're looking at a public-private partnership. The government partners with a private company and roll out towers especially in unserved and underserved areas where the telcos don't like to go," DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio told reporters in a forum in Makati City.

Once the towers are built it will be leased to telecommunications companies.

"This will minus the capital outlay costs ng telcos. In the long-term, the government can get back its investment," he said.

"In putting up towers, Globe and Smart needs to recover their investment. Pero 'pag gobyerno ang maglalagay diyan, and Globe and Smart will just lease, wala kaagad hard cash for capital outlays," he added.

It is high-time that the government invest in telecommunications infrastructure, Rio emphasized.

"We find that there really is a need to put up towers, especially in areas where Globe and Smart don't want to go ... Forty percent ng lugar natin are unserved and underserved," he said.

"And we are the only country na walang investment ang gobyerno sa telecommunications," he added.

The Philippines is lagging behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in terms of cell site footprint.

"We only have around 20,000 towers all over the country, while Vietnam has 70,000 and Indonesia has 86,000," Rio noted.

The plan is under study.

"These are still plans ... Of course, we have also listen to whoever is the investor. Sila kasi ang importante dito," Rio noted. — VDS, GMA News