CONNECTIVITY in the Philippines, particularly in the unserved/underserved areas may experience a jump in internet speed after a plan of constructing 15,000 telecommunications towers worth US$800 million to US$1 billion.
Apparently, the towers are in preparation for the operation of Mislatel (that’s barring any insurmountable hurdle), the winner of the bidding for the much-anticipated new major player (NMP), or third major player in the telco industry dominated by Smart Communications and Globe Telecommunications.
US$1-B MOA. DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. (2nd, left) and RT Telecom SDN. BHD. Chief Operating Officer Subash Devan seal their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a handshake as they display the signed document. With them are DICT Assistant Secretary Alan A. Silor (left) and RT Telecom Philippine Country Manager Atty. Ronald Talagtag. The MOA contains RT Telecom’s plans to construct 15,000 telecommunication tower worth around US$1 billion in five years. (EKU)
The figure came up as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) led by Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio,Jr. signed Wednesday, January 30, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Malaysia’s RT Telecom SDN. BHD.
Rio welcomed the new partnership to build new towers.
Aside from Rio, the other signatories of the MOA are DICT Assistant Secretary Alan A. Silor; and for RT Telecom, Subhash Devan, chief operating officer (COO), and Ronaldo Talagtag, Philippine country manager.
Over at the Senate — no problem at the House of Representatives — some opposition legislators have questioned last week the franchise of Mislatel, with one senator claiming the franchise was considered revoked for not operating in a year’s time after it received its franchise in 1998.
But Rio said the House does not share the same sentiments, specially that there is no record that Mislatel’s franchise was already canceled.
Devan said they plan to construct 15,000 towers in five years, giving an estimate of around US$800 million to US$1 billion cost.
RT Telecom operates under the umbrella of Malaysia’s Rohas Tecnic Berhad (RTB), known as a global infrastructure company in power, telecommunication, water and steel fabrication industries.
Rio said priority areas for the towers are the country’s far-flung areas to improve connectivity. (EKU)
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.