Globe, PLDT interconnect landlines in GenSan and South Cotabato

CEBU, Philippines - Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom has completed its landline interconnection with Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) in General Santos City and the whole province of South Cotabato over the weekend. This follows the activation of their commercial wireline interconnection in Tarlac province barely two weeks ago.

Both firms are also working on similar arrangements in Pangasinan, Zambales, Davao del Sur, and Davao del Norte.

Aside from GenSan/South Cotabato and Tarlac, Globe and PLDT already have existing landline interconnection in Metro Manila, Cavite, Iloilo, Capiz, Maguindanao, Batangas, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Leyte, Davao City, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zamboanga, Laguna, Quezon, La Union, Nueva Ecija, and Benguet.

Interconnection allows subscribers of both firms to call each other locally within the same area. In the past, a Globeline user calling a PLDT landline subscriber next door will be charged for long distance calls amounting to P6.50 per minute since there was no direct connection between the two companies. This time, Globelines customers can simply dial the seven-digit telephone number to connect with PLDT and vice versa.

“The ones who will benefit from this cooperation and healthy competition are the Filipino consumers, both residential and commercial, as they can now realize substantial savings in their phone bills as well as gain greater access to telecommunications,” said Atty. Froilan M. Castelo, Head of Globe Corporate and Legal Services Group.

The move is in compliance with the compulsory interconnection of authorized public telecommunications carriers under Republic Act 7925 which aims to create a universally accessible and fully integrated nationwide telecommunications network to encourage more infrastructure investments from the private sector that would benefit the consumers.

“This only proves that even industry competitors can work together to serve public interest and spur the domestic economy with cost-effective services,” he added. (FREEMAN)