DICT, ALT-Global ink deal for common tower construction

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to assist ALT-Global Solutions Inc. in securing permits to build common towers across the country.

According to DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio, the government will assist the common tower providers and expedite the permit processing to two to three months, with the construction set to be completed in another two months.

"I think our target is that we will have all the permits by two months or three months from now and then we will be more efficient, come up with permits faster as we learn along," he said on the sidelines of the MOA signing in Quezon City.

Under the agreement, ALT-Global will pinpoint select locations where they intend to put up common towers, and the DICT will secure the permits for them.

Rio said the entire process is seen to take five months initially given the learning curve, but this may be faster once the process falls into place.

"We can do it in four months or less, compare that to the one year that it takes to put up a tower," he explained.

The MOA signing comes as ALT-Global has secured NOW Telecom as one of its initial lessors, which is set to lease one site at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

"ALT-Global Solutions was able to get an agreement with a telco for a number of towers," said Rio.

Sought for more details, ALT-Global Solutions said it scored a partnership with NOW Telecom, whose businesses includes providing telecommunications, media, and information technology products and services.

These cover telecommunications value-added services through companies duly licensed to engage in wired and wireless, fixed and mobile communications; software and hardware technology, business process outsourcing, and other information technology applications.

Looking ahead, ALT-Global Director Sherwin Hing said the company already has 2000 sites which may host cellular towers, but the company is still in talks with other telco operators.

"We have about 2,000 sites already available. Of course, that's what they have to, the mobile network operators, have to vet on that," he said.

"We've been talking to these mobile network operators, but it's a chicken and egg situation right now. Most of them are in a wait-and-see situation," he elaborated.

ALT-Global Director Enrique Gonzalez said the company hopes to be able to put up towers in all its sites within the next three to four years.

"In terms of number of sites, we would like to do at least 500 towers this year," he said.

ALT-Global in May inked an agreement with CityMall Commercial centers Inc. for the lease of up to 50 rooftops of CityMalls across the country.