DICT Tower Watch gains support from PLDT, Smart

PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has expressed its support for Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)’s latest initiative to ensure a faster and transparent permitting process, particularly in rolling out common cell site towers.

DICT has launched Tower Watch PH, a digital monitoring system that will allow government and business representatives to monitor applications for the construction of common towers, laying of fiber optic cables and installation of in-building solutions, promoting transparency and accountability.

With Tower Watch, the DICT has developed dashboards for major stakeholders including telcos and tower companies, local government units, national government agencies, and Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTI) oversight committee members. This transparency portal is seen to boost the turnaround time for permit processing, given that all stakeholders have access to the same data, as well as discourage corruption and eliminate red tape for the approval of these permits.

“We thank the DICT for giving PLDT and Smart the opportunity to take part in the crafting process of this first-of-its-kind pioneering and innovative platform, a game changer in transparency in coordination to enable the fast-tracked rollout of digital infrastructure in our country,” said Smart VP and Head of Regulatory Affairs Atty. Roy D. Ibay during the launch of Tower Watch PH. “Immediate access to information via this platform enhances transparency, while also providing stakeholders a view on the accountabilities of each and everyone in the process.”

Citing various possible challenges to watch out for, including organizational, political, legal and technical barriers that can be encountered in operating the platform, Ibay is hopeful that through joint efforts from all stakeholders, the initiative can help the industry combat corruption.

“Nonetheless, by a joint and concerted effort amongst all stakeholders, I am certain that we will be able to hurdle all of these challenges. Proof of this is the fact that despite the pandemic, our internet speed rankings improved from last year to an upwards average of more than 30%,” said Ibay.

Citing statistics from Ookla, Ibay said that the Philippines’ overall rankings have increased between November 2020 and August 2021, for both fixed and mobile. “By August 2021, from 110th we are now 72nd in the world and 23rd in Asia for mobile. For fixed internet, from 103rd in the world, we are now 63rd in the world and 17th in Asia. These could never have been achieved without the cooperation between the government and the private sector,” Ibay said.

DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan said the common tower policy and other related issuances aim to provide a better policy environment that will allow telcos to deliver internet services to remote areas of the country by lowering the cost and risks. Streamlining the processing of permits has also allowed them to do so in less time.

“These measures are expected to encourage more telcos and ISPs to do their rollout in rural areas, even in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), giving more Filipinos access to the internet,” Honasan said.

“With the policy in place, our task now is to monitor and ensure its effective implementation. Through this digital monitoring system, we hope to promote transparency and accountability, two important factors in ascertaining the speedy approval and issuance of tower permits and other necessary connectivity infrastructure,” said Honasan, adding that this is also part of DICT’s efforts to future-proof the common tower initiative, ensuring that measures to streamline processes will continue to contribute to building a more far-reaching and robust ICT infrastructure in the country, regardless of changes in the national leadership.

“Once this transparency portal is used by everyone to monitor the progress of permit applications and issuances, it shall shorten the lengthy procedure and will accelerate the buildout of the necessary digital infrastructure like towers and fibers and in-building solutions,” said DICT Undersecretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic. “What we wish is to cement the gains we have achieved in the past two years and that these streamlined processes will not regress back to the old, inefficient, and red-tape laden ways,” he added.