Globe, PLDT complete linkup in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) have finally completed their local interconnection service in areas of common presence in the province of Pampanga, allowing residents subscribed to different operators to call each other without having to pay long distance charges.

“We are very happy to have fully completed and activated our local interconnection service with PLDT after negotiating for several years. Our efforts have finally paid off in ensuring the delivery of faster and more affordable telecommunication services for the people of Pampanga,” Globe corporate and legal services head Froilan Castelo said.

In November 2010, Ricardo Yabut of the Pampanga provincial government filed Resolution 2016, a petition addressed to PLDT to fasttrack the implementation of local interconnection services with Globe in areas of common presence in Pampanga.

Under the previous set-up, residents of Pampanga had to pay long distance charge of P5-P6 per minute to call PLDT from Globe and vice versa, a situation that can be very costly not only to the residents, but also to business establishments who make calls frequently to conduct their operations. Pampanga is one of the biggest provinces in the country in terms of population.

Pampanga is the second area where Globe has completed its local interconnection services with PLDT, after activation of interconnection services took place in Davao City last July 2010. To date, there are over 30 provinces and cities nationwide awaiting for full interconnection between Globe and PLDT.

“Globe remains relentless in working with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and local government units in aggressively pushing full interconnection into fruition for the benefit of subscribers,” Castelo said.

Meanwhile, the networks of Globe, Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) and Digitel Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) have been 100 percent interconnected in all areas of common presence and operations nationwide since April this year.

Globe also said that the NTC must help maintain a leveling playing field to safeguard healthy competition in the industry. It urged the regulatory body to enforce the rules on interconnection to provide the service that the calling public deserves.

Local interconnection means that residents and business establishments in various provinces or cities can make local calls without any extra charges. Without interconnection, a Globe landline subscriber would have to pay long-distance rates to call a PLDT, Digitel or Bayantel landline subscriber within the same area, and vice-versa.