PLDT, BayanTel resolve congestion problem

Ever wondered why it is difficult to call from a PLDT landline to a BayanTel landline and vice-versa?

The problem is congestion. Calling parties encounter busy signals mainly because there are not enough links between the switches of the two telephone companies.

But just recently, both companies tried working on the problem and have reported zero congestion in areas like Quezon City and Davao where the problem was most noticeable.

BayanTel and PLDT spent millions of pesos to activate additional E1s which is a major step towards addressing the problem of encountering busy signals by the calling parties due to congestion.

E1s are the links between switches with one E1 equivalent to 30 line circuits.

At least 32 additional E1s were activated in September and October, eight of which are for Quezon City, five for Davao, 10 for Makati, and nine for Las Piñas.

BayanTel officials said monitoring of the traffic of calls to assess the impact of the activation show that there was zero congestion in QC and Davao and they expect the same in Makati and La Piñas.

Tunde Fafunwa, BayanTel chief consultant for corporate and carrier group, expressed optimism that the activation would indeed relieve the congestion with PLDT lines. Comprehensive call traffic monitoring and testings are being done to see whether there has really been improvement in ease of calling.

BayanTel and PLDT have also agreed on a common facility provisioning methodology standard being used by PLDT to allow the carriers to monitor network performance from the same point of view.

This would also allow BayanTel to do proactive provisioning of interconnection facilities since PLDT has agreed to provide these one quarter in advance.

It took time before the problem of congestion was given attention due to PLDT’s alleged refusal to spend money for the additional E1s.

BayanTel officials said the two carriers have agreed to divide the expense equally between them, but there was hesistancy at first on the part of PLDT.

The two companies, meanwhile, are constantly monitoring other areas to see whether there are also problems of congestion.