PLDT, Globe ink S’pore interconnection agreement

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom Inc. and dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) inked a new interconnection pact allowing their subscribers in Sorsogon to call each other without additional charges.

Froilan Castelo, general counsel of Globe, said the company, through Globelines, and PLDT are also in talks for similar interconnection arrangements in Zambales, Misamis Occidental and Ilocos Norte. 

“We are happy to announce the expansion of Globe Telecom’s interconnection with competition to include the province of Sorsogon, which further enhances our customers’ access to affordable telecommunication services. We are hopeful that such collaboration and cooperation for cost-effective services will further extend to more and more provinces in the country,” he said.

Globe and PLDT are now interconnected in 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.

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 also encourages more infrastructure investments from the private sector that would benefit the consumers.

The local interconnection between Globe and PLDT allows landline customers of both entities to realize substantial savings as they no longer have to pay for long distance charges when calling one another.

Prior to the commercial activation of the interconnection, landline customers of both Globelines and PLDT were charged with long distance rate when making phone calls to one another.

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

Aside from PLDT, Castelo said Globe is open to discussions for potential interconnection arrangement with other local exchange carriers.

Globe earlier completed and activated the local interconnection of its landline service with Datelcom in Pampanga.