Globe, PLDT activate link in Misamis Or

MANILA, Philippines - Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. and dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) continued to expand their interconnection links in the provinces, this time allowing subscribers in Misamis Oriental to call each other without additional charges.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said the company continues to aggressively pursue interconnection with PLDT and other telecom providers in the provinces.

Last Dec. 11, Globe’s interconnection arrangement with PLDT in Misamis Oriental was activated commercially, allowing customers of telco providers in the province to call each other without additional long distance charges.

The activation brings to 27 the number of areas or provinces where Globe has established interconnection arrangement with competition.

These areas include Metro Manila, Cavite, Iloilo, Capiz, Batangas, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Leyte, Davao City, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zamboanga, Laguna, Quezon, La Union, Nueva Ecija, and Benguet, GenSan/South Cotabato , Tarlac, Davao del Norte, and Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Ilocos Sur, and Misamis Oriental.

“As we have previously committed, Globe has been aggressively pursuing interconnection with our counterparts. We recognize such arrangement greatly enhances the company’s dependability as a provider of cost-effective telecommunication services,” Castelo said.

In the absence of an interconnection deal, landline customers of Globelines and other telco providers are charged the long distance rate when making phone calls to one another.

With the commercial availability of the interconnection, Globe subscribers could simply dial the seven-digit telephone number to connect with PLDT and vice-versa.

Republic Act 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act mandates the compulsory interconnection of authorized public telecommunications carriers to create a universally accessible and fully integrated nationwide telecommunications network.

The law would also encourage more infrastructure investments from the private sector that would benefit the consumers.

The PLDT Group had a subscriber base of 75 million as of end-September comprising of 69 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million broadband subscribers and 2.2 million fixed line subscribers.

Wireless giant Smart Communications Inc. had 25.7 million subscribers as of end-September while Talk ‘N Text had 27.8 million, and Sun Cellular with 15.5 million.

On the other hand, Globe’s subscriber base grew 17 percent to 42.85 million in the first nine months of the year from 36.52 million in the same period last year.