Over 2,100 telco tower applications already approved –DICT

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Friday said that it approved more than 2,100 telecommunication company applications to build cell towers.

During a meeting with the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Atty. Omar Sana of the DICT said 700 permits, meanwhile, were still pending.

“That would bring us by the year-end around 3,000 permits issued for new towers just in the second half of 2020,” Sana said.

The DICT was also monitoring the monthly tower building applications and had been coordinating with telecommunication companies over how to speed up the process for the application of permits.

In August, Malacañang warned local government units that they had three days to act on telecommunication company applications to build cell towers.

President Rodrigo Duterte had also ordered prosecutors to file charges against local officials who failed to release the necessary papers requested within the specified time frame.

According to National Telecommunications Commission Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Smart Communications had so far secured 376 more permits and built 204 sites.

Globe Telecom Inc. had received 373 permits and built 354 sites.

Dito Telecommunity, meanwhile, secured 1,074 permits and built 818 sites.

Cordoba noted that the application process was shorter following Duterte’s order. — DVM, GMA News