THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it endorsed for green-lane treatment a P50-billion common passive telecommunications tower infrastructure project which it expects to generate 9,700 jobs.
In a statement, the BoI said that the project is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028’s goal of expanding and upgrading infrastructure.
“The project shall support the government’s initiative to enhance telecommunications services nationwide and increase connectivity, mobile network access, and internet penetration in unserved and underserved regions of the country,” the BoI added.
The telco project is under EdgePoint Towers, Inc., a unit of EdgePoint Infrastructure Sdn. Bhd. The Philippine unit builds and leases towers for telcos and digital services providers.
It will be the second such project granted green lane status after that of PhilTower Consortium, Inc., which applied to build P52 billion worth of telco infrastructure.
EdgePoint claims an optimal tower design that uses less material, with indigenous materials employed where possible instead of steel. It will also seek to use renewable energy in powering towers.
With the endorsement, the BoI One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments will monitor the action taken by government agencies on Edgepoint’s applications for permits and licenses.
Telecommunications infrastructure is one of the priority sectors of the BoI, alongside electric vehicles.
Its other priority sectors are: smart and high-tech lighting manufacturing, outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing, green metals, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, and data centers.
EdgePoint has said it hopes to increase its sites and client network in the Philippines, a projection founded on its optimistic outlook for the industry.
“(It is) targeting to own and manage approximately 6,400 shared passive telecommunications towers nationwide by 2030,” the BoI said.
In May, the company activated its first tower colocation tenancy partnership with DITO Telecommunity Corp., which involved a 48-meter tower in Tanay, Rizal. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
