PLDT Inc. and its subsidiary, Smart Communications Inc., are appealing for government intervention to gain access to over 300 sites for installation and repairs.
The group has identified sites in Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Palawan, Iloilo, Capiz, Samar, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte that are in need of installations and repairs.
The group has sought the assistance of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to direct local government units (LGUs) to allow the companies conduct repairs in the facilities in their locales.
“The PLDT Group would like to respectfully appeal to the DICT and DILG to direct LGUs and other concerned sectors to enjoin their immediate cooperation in granting the PLDT Group access to its facilities within their respective areas to conduct critical works,” the companies said in a letter addressed to the two national government agencies.
Some LGUs have imposed greater restrictions in their jurisdictions due to the ongoing health crisis. These restrictions have delayed critical activities such as service restoration, maintenance, installation works, capacity expansion, replacement and upgrade of critical facilities and other urgent work.
“Amid Covid-19, our services have become really essential to our countrymen. Many of our customers have been affected by the pandemic and the lockdowns, and we are here to help them get back on their feet by making sure that our quality services are always available to them. We can only do this if we can continue to broaden and improve our network infrastructure,” Smart President Alfredo S. Panlilio said.
He said the intervention of the national government will help hasten its initiatives to provide better services to customers. Telco services have become more crucial, as companies and schools have implemented remote work and distance learning initiatives to cope with the pandemic.
“The initiative of government to make it easier for us to build more towers quicker will be a big help in terms of improving coverage,” Panlilio said, following the government’s issuance of 211 building and preconstruction permits to Smart since the Anti-Red Tape Authority issued its Joint Memorandum Circular in August.
He added that towers are “but one portion” of PLDT-Smart’s integrated network, which also includes 360,000 kilometers of fiber infrastructure, around 10,000 macro and micro-cellsites and over 20,000 LTE base stations, in addition to data centers and partners for international capacity.
“That’s the kind of large-scale network that you would need to build in order to offer a competitive service,” he said.