Jacinto says telecom reform EO in final stages

NEWLY-APPOINTED Undersecretary Ramon P. Jacinto of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said an executive order (EO) introducing “stronger reforms” in the telecommunications industry is now in its final stages.

Mr. Jacinto issued the statement after his department released the long-awaited rules governing the shared use of telecommunications towers.

Mr. Jacinto said he “supports” the Department Circular No. 8 signed by Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II. The circular sets the policy guidelines on the co-location and sharing of telco towers for cell sites.

“Secretary Honasan is aware that there is a pending executive order that encompasses stronger reforms to maximize the benefit to the people,” Mr. Jacinto said.

“Most major reforms in the telecommunications industry have been undertaken via executive orders including EO 59 (Prescribing the Policy Guidelines for Compulsory Interconnection), EO 109 (Policy to Improve the Provision of Local Exchange Carrier Service) EO 436 (Prescribing Policy Guidelines to Govern the Operation of Cable Television in the Philippines) and EO 467 (Providing for a National Policy on the Operation and Use of International Satellite Communications in the Country),” he said.

He said the pending EO is in its final stages. “(The) guidelines that DICT released can be construed as an interim measure pending the release of the executive order.”

The common tower guidelines do not include the contentious proposals that would limit the number of common tower providers, and restrict current telecommunications companies from building their own towers.

Under the guidelines, mobile network operators or telcos may build new telecommunications towers, but they should “provide ample access slots” for other users and the DICT to “co-locate, mount or install their respective antennas, transmitters, receivers, radio frequency modules, radio-communications systems, and other similar active ICT equipment.”

Mr. Jacinto, who served as President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s adviser before he was transferred to the DICT, previously wanted to allow only two companies to build common towers.

TELCOS CAUTIOUS
Globe Telecom, Inc. said in a statement Thursday that it generally supports the creation of an independent tower industry complementing telcos “as this means more jobs for Filipinos other than providing much needed infrastructure to expand the coverage of mobile broadband networks especially in the unserved areas.”

However, it is “cautious” about the issuance, saying it is hoping that the new rules will not “create more bureaucracy or slow down further” the implementation of telecommunications infrastructure projects.

“The new guidelines must not result in an increasing capex of current industry players. Customers are best served when our investments are put to good use, specifically on technologically advanced active components of the network and not on passive assets,” it added.

PLDT, Inc. said it will have to study the new guidelines.

“Initially, we welcome the provisions in those guidelines that say telecoms operators will have the freedom also to set up their own towers in order to roll out their network,” PLDT Spokesperson Ramon R. Isberto said in a Laging Handa briefing Wednesday.

“But for the other provisions, you will have to excuse me at this point in time, our legal team is still reviewing it and we will come up with a clearer and more comprehensive position in a short while,” he added.

The DICT has pushed the concept of tower sharing to improve tower density, which is said to be one of the lowest in the region at 4,000 subscribers per tower. Allowing common towers means more than one telco can use a single tower, thereby increasing the number of subscribers being served.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in ����ý through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin