GLOBE Telecom Inc. has tapped Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. and Frontier Tower Associates Philippines (FTAP) Group to “explore the possibility of leasing build-to-suit sites, towers, and other passive telecommunications infrastructure and facilities” in Cebu, Davao and Olongapo.
Ernest L. Cu, the president of Globe, said this new memorandum of understanding is “in support of the common tower initiatives” of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“Tower sharing is a means to address the demand for better Internet experience. Our collaboration with tower experts will enable us to fast-track the construction of cell sites and towers in unserved and underserved areas, as well as congested urban centers,” he said.
This deal, Aboitiz InfraCapital COO Cosette V. Canilao said, will increase the existing coverage and capacity of the local telecommunication industry, as the towers that will be built by the group will also be leased to other players.
“Our partnership with Globe represents a significant first step in our effort to ramp up the country’s connectivity through infrastructure. Through the new common towers that will be built, Aboitiz InfraCapital, in partnership with FTAP, aims to build the right infrastructure that will advance the digitalization of businesses and communities,” Canilao said.
Patrick Tangney, who chairs FTAP, added that his group will be able to support the “anticipated changes” in the telco sector.
“We are confident that, in partnership with Aboitiz InfraCapital, we can offer the best one-stop solution for telecom operators in the Philippines, and that we can facilitate comprehensive and rapid development of infrastructure for use by Globe, as well as eventually other operators,” he said.
Globe is the first Filipino telco to tap independent tower operators for its network buildup. Just last month, it signed a deal with Isoc Infrastructure Inc. and edotco Group Sdn. Bhd. for development of passive infrastructure in Calabarzon.
The government aims to build roughly 50,000 new common towers across the Philippines in the next decade to augment the country’s tower density. The ICT department is expected to come up with a more concrete policy on shared infrastructure in September.