As President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address today, Monday, July 24, the Globe Group urged the government to continue regulatory reforms for the Philippines to be a truly Digital Nation and issued a "Policy Wishlist", with electrification of ICT infrastructure as top priority. "The government should ensure the timely electrification of ICT infrastructure, particularly cell towers, so telcos can provide life-enabling connectivity to more areas in the country," stated Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO. In order to shift to advanced network technologies, Globe also called for the rationalization of the 26-year-old Spectrum User Fees (SUF). In its current form, the SUF penalizes greater use of more spectrum-efficient 4G and 5G and other Fixed Wireless Access technologies. The SUF also disincentivizes network expansion, as fees are charged for every station even for the same frequencies. This hampers the industry’s push for stronger and wider connectivity as demand continues to grow. Furthermore, the government should pass a law requiring developers to allocate space for telco infrastructure. Legislators need to amend the National Building Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to require the mandatory provision of telecommunications infrastructure. The country’s 46 year-old building code was crafted at a time when connectivity was not yet considered a basic human need and is antiquated. To combat financial fraud as digital financial transactions continue to grow, Globe called for the passage of laws penalizing the use of e-wallets as conduits for money laundering and other financial scams. The Intellectual Property Code, a 26-year-old policy that needs to catch up with the times, should likewise be amended. It should allow stronger measures, such as site blocking, to combat content piracy. In addition, the Globe Group expects greater collaboration with law enforcement agencies and relevant government entities to curb cable theft, which causes connectivity disruptions to customers. “We’ve had an accomplished first year," Cu observed. In particular, he cited the public-private collaboration through the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), Executive Order No. 32, streamlining of the permitting process of ICT infrastructure, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Connectivity Rating Index and the SIM Registration Act. "As we move forward as partners in digital transformation, the Globe Group hopes to see more policy reforms that will sustain our progress so that in time, the Philippines will no longer be just catching up. Rather, the Philippines will set the standard,” Cu concluded.