Key officials of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) led the ceremonial launch of another issuance that is seen to bolster the country’s internet connectivity through the widespread access of telecommunications infrastructure.
Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2021, or the Streamlined Guidelines for the Issuance of Permits and Clearances for the Erection of Poles, Construction of Underground Fiber Ducts, and Installation of Aerial and Underground Cables and Facilities to Accelerate the Roll Out of Telecommunications and Internet Infrastructure, was launched in a virtual ceremony on Dec. 10.
The issuance aims to contribute to the acceleration of the rollout of telecommunication infrastructure and service projects.
It was signed by all signatory agencies on Oct. 25. Other signatory agencies include the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), National Electrification Commission (NEA), Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC).
ARTA Director-General Sec. Jeremiah B. Belgica underscored the importance of improving the country’s internet services.
“Internet speed has been considered as not only a necessity but nowadays, it has also been considered as a right. A lot of countries have continued to adopt connectivity as part of their human rights,” he said.
“It is really a challenge to go to the point that this is already a right without actually having the right infrastructure that could actually equal or sustain that right to connectivity.
“We are really, really excited for this because we know that we have added another engine to the now fast-moving processing and development of the construction side of our telecommunications sector,” he added.
ARTA Deputy Director-General for Operations Undersecretary Ernesto V. Perez also said that further improvement in the country’s internet speed can be expected with the signing of the new JMC.
Data from Ookla, a speedtest global indexing company, showed that the Philippines ranks 73rd for mobile and 63rd for fixed broadband as of August 2021. This is a huge leap from the country’s initial rankings when Ookla Speedtest index first began in August 2017, where the country was at the 100th spot for mobile and 94th spot for the fixed broadband.
ARTA officials credited these developments to its various efforts in the telecommunications (telco) sector, particularly the signing of a JMC that provided the streamlined guidelines for the issuance of permits, licenses and certificates for the construction of Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTIs).
Since it was signed, at least 33,748 permits in the telco sector were released as of September 2021. Of this figure, 28,331 are for PLDT/Smart, 3,560 are for DITO Telecommunity, and 1,857 are for Globe.
Nearly a year after the release of the issuance, ARTA launched its revised and expanded version to clarify some points of confusion in the guidelines and to further push for the construction of more telco towers.
These efforts are offshoots of ARTA’s flagship National Effort for the Harmonization of Efficiency Measures of Inter-related Agencies or Nehemia program, which aims to reduce the processing time, requirements, steps, and regulatory burdens in each sector by 52% in 52 weeks.
The telecommunications sector is among the five focus sectors for the first phase of the program. (ARTA) – jlo
