The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on  October 24 announced the extension of tower license terms up to 15 years as part of the government’s efforts to cut red tape in building transmission towers.

During the launch of the extension at the PhilTower site in Quezon City, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the launch is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push to fast-track digital connectivity.

“Less red tape. More towers. Faster internet. That’s the message. The DICT is here to move, not wait,” Aguda said.

The DICT partnered with the Information Tower Companies Association of the Philippines (ITCAP) for the launch of the Tower License Term Extension.

The license extension aims to accelerate the rollout of towers, reduce regulatory friction, and align the Philippines with global standards, where license last 10 to 30 years or even indefinitely, compared to the country’s previous five-year validity period.

“Because what we stand before today isn’t just a common tower — it’s a monument to our shared dream of Digital Bayanihan: a nation that comes together to ensure that no Filipino is left offline,” he said.

The extension also supports the DICT’s Common Tower Policy under Department Circular No. 008, Series of 2020, which allows multiple telcos to share tower sites instead of building their own.

The Common Tower Policy aims to speed up deployment, cut costs, and expand coverage nationwide.

“This empowers tower companies to build faster and invest smarter—so communities, especially in far-flung areas, can get connected sooner,” he said.

Aguda was joined in the launch by PhilTower MIDC president and ITCAP representative Devid Gubiani and other executives from Alliance Towers, American Tower, EdgePoint, EDOTCO, Frontier Tower Associates, Ison Tower, LDIC, PhilTower MIDC, and Unity Digital Infrastructure.

PNA PHOTO