DICT and BASS for Common Towers
The DICT can use visuals like this to decide where new towers should be placed. Here, BASS data is mapped together with DEPED and Satellite Luminosity data.
BASS data provides the estimated location and number of current Telcos (Globe, Smart and Sun). These are shown as colored circles in blue, green and magenta respectively. Already you can see areas without any telco coverage.
The population is shown in the map. These are used as “proxy” measures for population. This means that areas with a lot of DepED schools are also areas with larger population.
Since telcos might not operate in areas with low economic activity, areas can identified with the use of night time satellite luminosity data.
DICT will allow multiple tower providers to operate and not just limit it to one or two. DICT “action” Sec Rio explained that Common Tower Policy should not exclude current Telcos as it is part of their franchise.
For highly populated areas with low economic activity, DICT will support common tower providers in several ways:
First, DICT will encourage Telcos to partner with the common tower providers. There will be a Memorandum of agreement between the DICT, common tower providers and Telcos. This model needs to be a win-win for all stakeholders. The government wins by accelerate connectivity in the countryside. The Telcos win by lowering their capital expansion costs.
Second, the DICT can provide the use of TELOF’s 200 existing government towers. In addition, Government can also offer severalpublic properties wheremasts can be set up or converted into common towers.
Finally, towers can be put up in any of the public schools in the country. Since these are government owned, the common tower providers can avoid delays consumed by chasing 28 permits per tower. The DICT will take care of any right of way issues. Theseconsiderably shorten the cell site deployment time. However, Sec Rio clarified that DICT will work with common tower providers only. This does not apply with Telco owned towers.
Accelerating the common tower policy helps lower Telco capex costs. It expands faster in under-served and un-served areas. These underserved and unserved areas make up 40% of the population.