Issue EO on telco towers, internet infra now
January 24, 2023CitizenWatch Philippines is calling on Malacanang to immediately issue an executive order spelling out the guidelines governing the establishment of telecommunication towers and other internet infrastructure.
Two Joint Memorandum Circulars from ten different agencies have been issued for this specific purpose, and these have enabled us to achieve respectable progress in the past two years. But these JMCs will expire in July 2023, and we cannot afford to lose momentum in our pursuit of greater connectivity and digital transformation.
As a direct result of the JMCs, processing time to secure permits for telco towers went down from 8 months to 16 days, and for other internet infrastructure from 2.5 years to just 2.5 months. The number of needed permits dropped from 13 to eight, and other documentary requirements from 86 to 35. Telco coverage substantially improved. A total of 7,000 towers were erected in just a span of 18 months, bringing the total number to 29,700 from 22,700.
The positive results were unprecedented. From 71st place globally in October 2021, the Philippines climbed to 45th place in terms of the speed of fixed broadband in November 2022. Ranking in terms of mobile internet speed also improved from 93rd in October 2021 to 80th in November 2022.
This shows we only needed to do things more efficiently in order to see a drastic improvement.
But, like the Private Sector Advisory Council and the Anti-Red Tape Authority, we at CitizenWatch are concerned that compliance to the two JMCs might stop and that the results might be reversed with more red tape if these are not made into a permanent executive policy.
It is not difficult to imagine how much better we would have performed if all LGUs and agencies concerned complied with the JMCs. The immediate issuance of an Executive Order will have the effect of law which and ensure sustained compliance and enforcement of the guidelines.
At this point in our digitalization journey, to miss the opportunity to institutionalize the elimination of red tape and other bureaucratic hurdles, so that we can improve our telecommunication and internet coverage, would be a huge setback in our drive to become a competitive digital economy.
President Marcos himself has acknowledged the need for a digital transformation. The Palace’s swift action on this Executive Order will be a strong message to all parties involved to further expedite the building of the country’s digital infrastructure.
Orlando Oxales
Convenor