Lawmakers seek cell sites in remote areas

TWO members of the House of Representatives called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to speed up the installation of cell sites in remote areas across the country to improve internet connectivity.

Rizal Second District Rep. Fidel Nograles and Ang Probinsiyano party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong made the appeal in line with the implementation of the flexible learning system and work-from-home arrangement because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ong stressed the need to include communication infrastructure in the priorities under the government’s Build, Build, Build program, which focuses on the construction of roads and bridges.

“We really need good internet signal, especially during the time when the ‘ new normal’ is really using technology to work and also learn from home. Government needs to invest in technology infrastructure and not just roads and bridges.

bundle (This really needs to be bundled),” he said.

He proposed that government fund the construction of cellular towers, which could be leased to telecommunication companies ( telcos) to accelerate the construction of cell sites.

The lawmakers pointed out that among Asian countries, the Philippines had one of the lowest cell site density.

Data from the TowerXchange, an informal network among advisors in the global market tower industry, indicated that the use- per- cell- site density of the Philippines is 4,036, based on 18,000 total cell sites for 67 million internet users.

The country lags behind India, which had a user-per-site density of 312 with 1.5 million cell sites, 384 in China with 1.95 million cell sites, 914 in Vietnam with 70,000 cell sites and 1,466 in Indonesia with 91,700 cell sites.

The lawmakers said in Cotabato City, 246,700 customers of one telco shared 13 cell sites, which resulted in poor signal connectivity. They added that remote places had no internet connection.

The lawmakers pointed out that about 50,000 towers are needed to strengthen the mobile connectivity across the country.

The DICT earlier vowed to work on cutting red tape by reducing requirements in Common Tower Permitting by 52 percent in 2020 to speed up the process to enhance wireless network coverage and the quality of information and telecommunications services.

The agency is set to release next month the guidelines for the common tower policy.

Once the DICT allows independent players to establish cell towers, internet connection in the country will be improved in three to five years.

The agency also sees cheaper internet connection once more cell sites are built.