The Philippine government has allowed local firm NOW Telecom to operate a mobile telecommunications system, the company announced Monday, with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) granting NOW Telecom’s request for the renewal of an operating permit on the 800 megahertz radio frequency band. The company received the license on Oct. 2, CNN Philippines reported. However, another report by BusinessWorld claimed NOW Telecom received the license on September 29.

As a result of the NTC’s approval, NOW Telecom is now among the four companies in the country that are licensed to operate a mobile telecommunications system, the others being Globe, Smart, and DITO Telecommunity.

The newly acquired license “shall strengthen the communications security and connectivity to vital critical infrastructures in the country,” NOW Telecom owner and chairman Mel Velarde said in a statement released Monday.

It will also be critical in allowing the company to implement its own mobile telecommunications system, according to Velarde.

Parent company NOW Corporation is reportedly planning to fire up 16 critical infrastructure projects that were identified by both the Philippine government and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

These projects require “blanket coverage for secure, reliable, and robust communications systems (sic) using only trusted equipment,” Velarde said.

NOW Telecom partnered with the U.S. government to develop a standalone 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines just months after the company secured a P118 million ($2.15 million) grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for its 5G initiative.

NOW Telecom revealed at the time that it was eyeing a 2024 rollout for its projects. The company announced last week that it was planning to appeal a court decision that dismissed a petition for the automatic allocation of mobile frequencies from the NTC.

NOW Telecom currently offers several types of services in Metro Manila under its Now Fiber Air brand, according to the Now Telecom website. These are Fiber Air POWER, Fiber Air BURST, Fiber Air BIZ BOOST, and Fiber Air PREMIUM.