ABOITIZ InfraCapital, Inc. is partnering with Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Inc. (FTAP) to build and operate common cell towers around the country.
In a statement, the infrastructure unit of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) said it entered into a cooperation agreement with FTAP to develop, build, operate and maintain a network of new towers “in a bid to vastly improve and expand the country’s cellular and telecommunications capabilities.”
“We truly believe that we will be able to deliver a common tower solution that is fast and effective, paving the way for greater quality and coverage in the telecommunications sector. Amid the country’s growth momentum and the government’s commitment to bolster further advancement, Aboitiz InfraCapital aims to build the right infrastructure that will advance business and communities,” Cosette V. Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer, said.
For the project, the company said it is bringing the Aboitiz group’s vast experience in constructing and operating provincial utility networks, such as Visayan Electric Co., Davao Light and Power Co., and Cotabato Light and Power Co.
FTAP is a member of the Frontier Tower Associates Group (FTA), described as an established international tower operator and service provider. Its chairman, Patrick Tangney, founded the biggest tower company in Myanmar before launching operations in Indonesia and the Philippines.
“We have rolled out and operated thousands of towers in the ASEAN region; our operations team has also in the past rolled out more than 1,000 towers in the Philippines that form a core part of existing mobile phone networks. In the run-up to our launch, the FTAP-Aboitiz team has been conducting radio planning in a number of regions, developing tower designs specific to the Philippines, and building a landbank of site locations relevant for mobile phone companies,” Mr. Tangey said.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology is calling on common tower providers to help install 50,000 common towers all over the country over the next seven years.
