Globe taps towercos to secure up to 900 common tower sites across the Philippines

Globe Telecom has approached a number of independent tower companies in the Philippines to secure access to up to 900 sites across the country, as it strives to improve mobile service quality. The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes that Ayala-led Globe confirmed via a statement on 9 September that arrangements with a number of towercos were now moving to the construction phase after the sites were identified. Earlier, the operator inked deals with the likes of Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), ISOC-edotco, Transcend Towers Infrastructure (Philippines), CREI Philippines and Frontier Towers & Associates (FTA) as part of the country’s common tower programme. ‘The partnerships with towercos will greatly complement the company’s target in expanding its capacity and coverage throughout the country,’ Globe CFO Rizza Maniego-Eala is quoted as saying. Under the plan, Globe (and other telcos) will lease slots in these common towers, helping reduce spending, redundant sites and eventually lowering costs for subscribers. The Department of Information and Communications Technology is targeting the construction of about 50,000 new towers in the coming years.