Globe Telecom Inc. said Monday more property owners and developers are supporting the elimination of leases for in-building telecom infrastructure.
“We have made some progress along these lines, getting a number of developers to already agree on this concept,” Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said.
“We’re just glad to report things are moving and moving in the right direction,” he said.
Cu said that unlike water and power utilities which are welcomed without charges, the telecom sector faces a starkly different reality, where leases, access to telco rooms and various other fees still persist.
Globe said such unregulated fees, which bloat telco expenses, derail efforts to expand connectivity as demand continues to rise, with more Filipinos using the internet for daily activities, whether for work, school, livelihood or entertainment.
Cu said that as connectivity is now a basic necessity, his vision is to remove obstacles hindering its growth and pave the way for telco services to be more affordable and readily available for all.
Globe is working with both real property developers and the government to align priorities for connectivity by encouraging them to remove lease fees for in-building solutions.
It also supports bills that seek to amend the outdated National Building Code so that connectivity would be recognized as a basic necessity, paving the way for the removal of lease fees for the installation of relevant infrastructure and the automatic allocation of space for telco cables and equipment in property projects.
Globe’s zero lease initiative is inspired by successful implementations in other Asia-Pacific countries, demonstrating that such a practice can reduce operational costs for telecom companies, foster a more competitive market, and ultimately benefit consumers with improved connectivity and services.
Globe said that property developers in Australia are responsible for arranging and financing pit and pipe infrastructure, ensuring that telecom services are in place when new properties are occupied.
It said that in Singapore and Hong Kong, building owners and developers are required to provide space and access for telecom licensees without imposing additional costs, a policy that underscores the mutual benefits for both the buildings and their tenants, creating a win-win situation.
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