DICT, Aboitiz sign MOU for telco common tower

DICT Sec. Eliseo Rio, Jr. (4th from left) and Aboitiz InfraCapital COO Cosette Canilao (2nd from right) sign the MOU recognizing Aboitiz InfraCapital as a potential common tower provider. Joining them are (from left) Ivin Alzona, DICT Assistant Secretary; Alan Silor, DICT Assistant Secretary; John Henry Naga, DICT Undersecretary; and (far right) Jerome Cachau, Aboitiz InfraCapital Infra Group Lead. (Photo from Aboitiz InfraCapital)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Communication Information and Technology (DICT) has signed an agreement with a local company to improve the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.

In a statement released on Friday, Aboitiz InfraCapital —  the infrastructure business unit of the Aboitiz Group — announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) recognizing it as potential common telecommunications tower provider.

“This MOU simply states DICT recognizes Aboitiz as capable, and that it has the financial capacity to invest in towers that it can lease to the telecommunication companies…we want to have better telecom services within our lifetime, and we are hoping to have 50,000 towers in seven to 10 years,” DICT Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said in the statement.

Aboitiz InfraCapital said it is “seeking to build, operate, and maintain a network of towers throughout the Philippines in a bid to improve the connectivity of the country’s cellular network.”

It said that through its sister company, AboitizPower, it could provide the expertise to find efficient solutions for the power requirements of the cellular towers.

“The Aboitiz group possesses extensive experience in building and operating utility networks… Moreover, the Aboitiz group has established a strong track record on the management and execution of complex projects,” Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer Canilao said.

Under the MOU, part of Aboitiz InfraCapital’s responsibilities is to secure a binding contract with telco operators in the country. Once this is secured, a Memorandum of Agreement will then be discussed with DICT. /muf

https://business.inquirer.net/264661/aboitiz-villar-keen-on-joining-govt-cell-towers-rollout-program