Smart is planning to roll out 2,000 new cell sites in 2021

PLDT's wireless arm Smart has big plans to improve its coverage and connectivity for Filipinos next year. In a press statement, the company announced that it is planning to roll out 2,000 new cell sites in 2021.

File photo: Cell tower in the Philippines 

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Thanks to the Anti-Red Tap Authority which issued a Joint Memorandum Circular in August, Smart has secured close to 1,500 permits to build more cell sites across the country.

Smart shared that these permits cover will be built in Metro Manila as well as the typhoon Rolly and Ulysses impacted provinces like Albay, Aurora, Batangas, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Isabela, Laguna, Masbate, Quezon, Rizal, and Sorsogon.

The permits also include the Luzon provinces of Luzon provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Zambales; Visayas provinces of Aklan, Antique, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar and Southern Leyte; and Mindanao provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Cotabato (North Cotabato), Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Lanao Del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Norte.

To recall, Smart also tapped six tower companies to build the initial batch of 180 to 200 common towers, pursuant to the government's common tower policy.

This accelerated rollout is part of the company's continuous expansion of its fixed and wireless networks. PLDT now has a fiber network of over 395,000 kilometers nationwide supporting Smart's mobile networks covering 96 percent of the Philippine population.

This accelerated tower rollout is part of PLDT-Smart's continuous expansion of their fixed and wireless networks. To date, PLDT's fiber infrastructure now spans 395,000 kilometers nationwide. This also supports Smart's mobile networks, which covers 96 percent of the Philippine population.

PLDT also shared that it has ongoing plans for adding over 500,000 fiber ports.

See also: PLDT and Smart expands network, rolled out 279 5G base stations