Globe, Islacom hike rates today

Globe Telecom and its subsidiary Isla Communications Inc. will increase today the rates on local and national long distance calls made from its landline phones under the brand name Globelines.

Globe assistant vice president Venancio Chan said in an interview yesterday that national direct distance (NDD) rate for calls made from Globelines to other carriers now costs P1.50 higher, or from P3 per minute to P4.50 per minute. The rates apply to both postpaid and prepaid subscribers of Globelines.

Local calls, which Globe and Islacom used to charge 25 centavos per minute, also doubled to 50 centavos per minute. Globe Telecom, a prepaid card used on Globe payphones, already carried the new rates since Dec. 1, 2001.

Likewise, the one-time charge for new prepaid subscription of Globelines increased to P1,500 from P1,300.

Cellular and international calls made from Globelines were retained at P12.50 and $0.40 per minute, respectively.

"The adjustment was in line with the industry’s move. I think we were the last to have implemented an increase in landline calls," Chan said, adding that there was a need to "remove the variation" among charges.

Islacom started offering Globelines in November 2001, taking over from the former IslaPhone brand, in specific areas in Visayas. Globe, meanwhile, provides wireline voice services in Metro Manila, Calabarzon region and central Mindanao.

Its rival firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) also implemented the P1.50 increase in NDD rate in November last year. – Mary Ann Reyes