BIZ BUZZ: One Canal: Groundbreaking rule for telcos
Anyone who has ever grumbled about the same stretch of road being dug up repeatedly for telecommunications and utility works may soon have reason for relief.
This, after the Private Sector Advisory Council’s Digital Infrastructure Sector endorsed what it calls a “One Canal Policy,” a proposal that would require telco and utility providers to share a common underground conduit instead of repeatedly excavating roads whenever new fiber or utility lines need to be installed.
The recommendation was among several presented to President Marcos during the council’s 10th meeting in Malacañang.
Under the proposed policy, a canal along national roads and public rights-of-way would be dug just once and shared by all qualified operators. That common conduit is expected to reduce construction costs and deployment timelines.
For telco companies, the proposal could also accelerate fiber rollout by addressing one of the industry’s biggest bottlenecks: the time and cost of securing permits and reopening roads every time new infrastructure is built.
If adopted, the One Canal Policy would represent a shift in how digital infrastructure is built in the Philippines.
Aside from that, business leaders also pushed for stronger cybersecurity measures, the responsible development of artificial intelligence, wider rural connectivity and a stronger submarine cable network to support the country’s
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