Globe Telecom, a major provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines, is seeking to increase the number of cell sites nationwide and is expanding its network of partner tower providers. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Transcend Towers Infrastructure (Philippines), a wholly owned subsidiary of the global infrastructure firm American Tower Corporation (ATC), to build shared telecoms towers in the Philippines.
Under the agreement, Transcend Towers will initially construct 150 new cell sites for Globe Telecom in North Luzon in support of the common tower initiative of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The government’s common tower policy aims to free telecommunications providers from costly capital expenditures in setting up communication towers. According to DICT, it is targeting the building of at least 50000 new common towers across the country in the next seven to ten years.
As stated by Rizza Maniego-Eala, Chief Finance Officer at Globe, the American Tower subsidiary will play a critical role in improving the density of Globe’s sites in the area. “There is a significant need to accelerate our infrastructure build for our customers to fully enjoy the benefit of a digital lifestyle,” said Maniego-Eala.
This is the third MOU signed by Globe Telecom – it follows an agreement with ISOC Infrastructure and Malaysia-based tower operator Edotco Group, signed in June for 150 towers in Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon, and a similar deal inked in July with Aboitiz InfraCapital and Frontier Tower Associates Philippines (FTAP) to develop telecom towers in Cebu, Davao, and Subic.
In addition, Globe Telecom has previously stated that partnering with independent tower providers will help it save some of its capital expenditures, which may be invested in building active telecommunications infrastructure instead.
