Group pushes telco infrastructure code

MANILA, Philippines — Government should start crafting a telecommunication infrastructure code and treat internet connectivity as a basic utility that must be made available to as many residential and commercial areas as possible across the country, a consumer advocacy group said.

Tim Abejo, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said the telco infra code would supplement the existing Building Code and would apply to various types of real estate development.

“The current building code is applicable to construction and since it has been in place for a long time, it does not factor in connectivity needs,” he said.

Abejo said existing developments should adopt “fiberization” instead of mere fiber overlays, and said developers must integrate connectivity with the aesthetics of their properties. For new developments, the use of fiber should be the default mode instead of copper cabling, and property developers/ homeowner associations should execute the fiber overlays using agnostic fiber.

“We appeal to developers of residential and commercial properties, both horizontal and vertical developments, to treat telecommunication as they would power and water,” he said.

“This will future proof developments and is critical toward digitalization.”

Currently, telcos are offering to bring fiber to individual units – a convenient and cost-effective solution that does away with the need for rectification or civil works, which property developers or homeowners associations are reluctant to spend on.

Meanwhile, mall developers should not lease out space to telcos for their equipment nor charge them for activation and gross coverage area leases, Abejo said.

“In shifting to the mindset that the internet is really like power and water, what developers should do is charge the cost of telco provision to their tenants and locators who would benefit from the availability of the telco facility,” he said.

“This should apply to other types of commercial developments like offices and hotels.”

The aim is that 100 percent of the area should have connectivity, instead of just select areas, he said.

“This is what it means to be customer-centric: that anywhere in the development and anywhere in the country, there is good and stable coverage,” Abejo said, emphasizing that digital transformation is holistic, consistent and reliable.