A PLDT request to the government: Map telecom facilities and cable lines

PLDT Inc. has requested the government map telecommunication facilities, especially cable lines, to avoid damaging them with new projects and road repairs.

The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is mapping assets and equipment owned by telcos through its initiative, PLDT president and chief executive officer Alfredo Panlilio said in a statement.

Using this approach, Panlilio said the government can make sure that agencies, such as DPWH, avoid damaging telco facilities when delivering road projects.

ARTA has organized a workshop to map out the processes that operate telco facilities. We support this workshop. DPWH projects cause accidental cable cuts which will be minimized, if not entirely prevented, by solutions developed from this initiative.”

With over 1.1 million kilometers of fiber infrastructure as of March, the country’s fiber infrastructure has had its share of incidents. For Filipinos to remain always connected, we must improve connectivity as an essential human right.” Panlilio concluded.

A similar policy to that proposed by PLDT is wanted by Converge ICT Solutions Inc., a provider of broadband services. When the government pursues a road project, underground pipes will be required for cable lines.

By doing so, telco operators can install their cable lines under new roads instantly, without having to dig again.

In conjunction with ARTA’s Better Regulations Office, PLDT co-hosted today the second workshop on easing telco licensing and permitting. Public and private stakeholders attended the workshop to map telco facilities for future collaboration.

As the government moves toward online transactions, Panlilio said ARTA plays an important role. To start a project, companies need to get a number of permits and clearances from ARTA.

The PLDT chief stated, “We hope to address the urgency of operationalizing policies to build the best possible quality of service for Filipinos and support the government’s digitalization efforts through collaborations like this workshop.”

To ease the cost and time of building new towers, telecom providers are asking the government to enact policies that streamline permitting.

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