TELECOMMUNICATION companies have pledged to improve their service by establishing five new cell towers in Davao City, a local councilor heading the committee on information technology said.
Councilor Jessica Bonguyan said Globe Telecom and Smart Communications will be putting up these cell towers in the second and third district in a bid to improve the communication line in these areas, especially on the internet connectivity.
"Daghan plans nga itukod nga cell sites diria sa Davao (City). Pasabot ana mas mu-gwapo na ang internet connection dira. Kasi mao kana ang kulang sa ato karon (There are already plans of build more cell sites here in Davao City. Meaning, our internet connection will improve since that is what we are currently lacking)," Bonguyan said on Wednesday, November 27, during the 19th City Council Media Briefing at the City Council.
She said the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) is already fast-tracking the application of these telcos.
Third District Councilor Conrado Baluran, who heads the City Council committee on transportation and communication, previously lobbied for the amendment of Ordinance 0546-14, Series of 3013 specifically Article 12, Section 10, otherwise known as "Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of Davao City."
Under the ordinance, the construction of cell sites and telecommunication towers must undergo approval from CPDO and Local Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals (LZBAA).
He said the City Council, through a three-fourth majority vote, will determine its final approval upon favorable endorsement from the LZBAA.
However, he noticed that it is almost similar to Section 6 of Ordinance 0463-13 or "An ordinance providing for the regulation of the construction and maintenance of cellular towers for mobile phone services in the City of Davao," which added confusion and redundancy in the application.
He said he is pushing for the amendment to attract telecommunication companies (telcos) to establish cell sites in underserved areas.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang also revealed that there are still pending application at the CPDO due to the ordinances.
"From the economic viewpoint, this is a drawback on the part of the city. There' s a lot of investors who want to invest but would (back out) along the way," Dayanghirang said.
Meanwhile, Bonguyan said her committee will also fast-track the endorsement ordinance to immediately start of these new towers.
Although she did not mention the timeframe of the approval, she said they will be lobbying it as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, November 26, Bonguyan said internet service providers in the city assured their subscribers can avail themselves of rebates and payment adjustment for the interruptions depending on who is responsible for the problem.
She said this comes after meeting with the concerned companies, wherein she was informed of the factors that contributed to the slow or lack of internet connection in the city lately.