Aboitiz InfraCapital, Frontier Towers ink cooperation deal

Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., the infrastructure arm of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., said Thursday it has signed a cooperation agreement with Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc. (FTAP) to establish a network of telecommunication towers in support of the government’s common tower initiative.

In a statement, Aboitiz Equity said the cooperation deal was signed on June 19. The agreement covers “the development, construction, operation and maintenance of a network of new towers throughout the Philippines in its bid to vastly improve and expand the country’s cellular and telecommunications capabilities.”

Aboitiz InfraCapital will bring to this project the 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., the conglomerate said.

The group will also leverage on its technical expertise and project management skills developed as shown by its track record in managing and executing complex projects.

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

“We truly believe that we will be able to deliver a common tower solution that is fast and effective, paving the way for greater quality and coverage in the telecommunications sector. 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,” Canilao said.

FTAP is a member of the Frontier Tower Associates Group, an international tower operator and service provider, specialized in building “high-quality” towers.

“We are pleased to join Aboitiz, a group with a long-established tradition of integrity and excellence in Filipino infrastructure, to provide best-of-class common tower solutions that help wireless network operators to meet their goals of expanding the availability and quality of wireless voice and data services in the Philippines,” FTAP chairman Patrick Tangney said.

“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 added.

In preparation for partnership launch, the team has been conducting radio planning in a number of regions, developing tower designs specific to the Philippines, and building a landbank of site locations relevant to mobile phone companies.

The partnership was a response to the Department of Information and Communication Technology’s (DICT) call for common tower providers to help develop and rollout at least 50,000 new telecommunications towers, according to Aboitiz Equity. —VDS, GMA News