ITCS get DICT provisional certificates

THe Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has issued provisional certificates of registration to independent tower companies (ITCS) to accelerate the roll out of common towers in the Philippines.

A total of 23 tower companies received provisional certificates that allow them to “own, construct, manage, and operate one or more Passive Telecommunications Towers Infrastructures.”

“This should provide them with ample time to complete all the requirements for full ITC registration and permitting within the time period. Likewise, this should also provide enough time for ITCS to start their roll-out,” ICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said.

The provisional certificates are valid until December 31.

“We need these tower companies to continue mobilizing and building out towers now, that’s why we granted them this provisional certificate to ease their transition under the new circular. We have to be diligent to ensure capacity of certified ITCS and we need to balance diligence with the urgency to improve our current ICT infrastructure,” Honasan said.

He added that interested tower companies may also register with the DICT through its online portal.

“This new registration system is a big step towards our goal of reducing procedural delays in the permitting of ITCS. This will also allow the continuance of our services amid the community quarantine. With the application now done online, we hope to encourage more ITCS to register with the DICT and avail of the advantages of the whole common tower initiative,” Honasan said.

Currently, there are 23 tower companies that the ICT department has existing memoranda of understanding and or agreement with.

Shared telco infrastructure is seen to boost both coverage and speed of the Internet in the country, which is now adapting a new normal, wherein almost everything is digital due to the pandemic.