PLDT-Smart to build 180-200 cell sites with 6 common tower firms

Telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications are planning to build about 200 cell sites with six shared telecommunications tower firms, in a bid to improve connectivity in the country.

“We recognize that common towers are common all over the world. Many countries adopted that policy,” PLDT-Smart Public Affairs head Ramon Isberto said during the virtual Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

On May 29, the The Department of Information and Communications Technology issued the Department Circular (DC) No. 008, series 2020.

The circular provides the guidelines on “Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTIs).”

The circular mandated that all PTTIs built, improved, renovated, upgraded or retrofitted shall provide ample slots for all mobile network operators and the DICT to co-locate their antennas, transmitters, receivers, radio frequency modules and communication systems and other equipment.

“We are receptive and supporting that policy as well,” Isberto said.

“We already signed agreements with six tower companies and we have an initial target roll out of about 180 to 200 cell sites. But that’s just the starting because we want to see how it actually operates,” he added.

The PDT-Smart official, however, did not disclose the identities of the six common tower companies.

Isberto added that the telco is still exploring agreements with several other common tower companies “and we hope to sign them soon.”

“We certainly want to take advantage of the opportunity the common towers will offer,” he said.

“We just want to say that PLDT-Smart committed to improving our services,” he said.

PLDT-Smart earlier vowed to improve internet speed and coverage by December.

To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), threatened dominant telecommunications firms Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. to improve their services by December, else risk having their properties expropriated by the government or be shut down.

“This year, we are spending about P70 billion, it should be P83 billion but because of the COVID-19 situation it is difficult to roll out,” Isberto said.

The PDT-Smart official noted that the telco has spent about P260 billion in capital expenditures in the past five years or from 2015 to 2020. -MDM, GMA News