Aboitiz, Frontier Tower sign deal for common cell sites

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (Aboitiz InfraCapital), the infrastructure business unit of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., has signed a deal with Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc. (FTAP) to establish a network of new telecommunication towers in the country.

Aboitiz InfraCapital said the cooperation agreement seeks the “development, construction, operation and maintenance of a network of new towers throughout the Philippines” to vastly improve and expand the country’s cellular and telecommunications capabilities.

The deal comes after the Department of Information and Communication Technology’s (DICT) called on common tower providers to help in developing and rolling out at least 50,000 new telecommunications towers in the country.

“We are happy to announce our partnership with FTAP. Throughout our discussions, it has become clear that our values and objectives are strongly aligned,” said Cosette V. Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital Chief Operating Officer.

Canilao believes they “will be able to deliver a common tower solution that is fast and effective.”

“Amid the country’s growth momentum and the government’s commitment to bolster further advancement, Aboitiz InfraCapital aims to build the right infrastructure that will advance business and communities,” she said.

Aboitiz InfraCapital said it will make use of Aboitiz Group’s extensive experience in building and operating provincial utility networks such as Visayan Electric Co., Davao Light and Power Co., and Cotabato Light and Power Co..

FTAP Chairman Patrick Tangney underscored its experience in rolling out and operating towers not only in the Philippines but also in the Asean region.

FTAP, a member of the Frontier Tower Associates Group (FTA), specializes in building high-quality towers with its chairman serving as the founder of the largest tower company in Myanmar.

Tangney said FTAP and Aboitiz have been conducting radio planning in different parts of the country and developing new tower designs that are specific to the Philippines before the partnership launch.

“We have rolled out and operated thousands of towers in the Asean region; our operations team has also in the past rolled out more than 1,000 towers in the Philippines that form a core part of existing mobile phone networks,” Tangney said.

[We are also] building a landbank of site locations relevant for mobile phone companies,” he added. (Editor: Eden Estopace)

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