THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plans to extend the validity of independent tower companies’ (ITCs) licenses beyond the current five-year period to align with the expected life of their assets.
“The problem with their licenses is that they are given five years, but the life of an asset is 15 to 20 years, so it doesn’t match,” DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said during Globe Telecom Inc.’s 2025 Technology & Innovation Summit on Monday.
While the department has yet to finalize the length of the extension, Mr. Aguda said a new circular will be released specifying the extended period for tower companies’ licenses.
“I cleared it with the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.) and he said, ‘Tama naman, you want them to invest, you have to match their license to operate.’ So, that’s going to happen, and I’m happy to say that it’s almost 90% there,” Mr. Aguda said.
Under DICT Department Circular No. 8, issued in 2020, an independent tower company’s certificate of registration is valid for five years and can be renewed for another five years if the proper application is submitted within three months before its expiration.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Globe Telecom, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Raymond R. Cruz said he supports the DICT’s proposal to extend the five-year validity of ITC licenses.
“I think we need to enable the viability of the tower companies in the Philippines… If the tower companies and the operators work well, it is going to be good for the industry and the consumers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Aguda said the DICT is proposing to make internet connectivity a mandatory requirement under Republic Act No. 6541, the National Building Code of the Philippines.
“As people have mentioned, internet is now a utility,” he said.
The 48-year building code includes guidelines for water, electrical, and mechanical regulations.
Mr. Aguda said the proposed changes to the building code will be presented to lawmakers during their upcoming hearing on Sept. 10.
“Dapat parang tubig at kuryente ‘yan, ‘pag gumawa ka ngayon ng bagong building at bahay, may kasama nang internet (Similar to water and electricity, you should install connectivity infrastructure when constructing a new building or house),” he said.
Also on Monday, the DICT signed a two-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Globe to establish a stronger, more integrated framework for combating fraud, scams, and other ICT-enabled crimes.
The partnership formalizes the Collaborative Framework for Fraud Prevention and Investigation, Globe said in a statement. The MoU has a validity of two years, subject to renewal. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz