Globe Telecom said its landline service Globelines has secured a local interconnection deal with PLDT in Sorsogon, enabling subscribers of both service providers in the province to call each other without additional charges.
The commercial activation of Globelines? interconnection with PLDT began July 31, allowing landline customers of service providers 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 phones to one another.
With the commercial availability of the interconnection, Globe subscribers can dial the seven-digit telephone number to connect with PLDT and vice-versa.
?We are happy to announce 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,? said Froilan Castelo, Globe general counsel.
He added that aside from PLDT, Globe is open for discussions for potential interconnection arrangement with other local exchange carriers.
Currently, Globe and PLDT are in talks for similar interconnection arrangements in Zambales, Misamis Occidental and Ilocos Norte. Discussions for such cooperation are in line with provisions for compulsory interconnection of authorized public telecommunications carriers under Republic Act 7925.
The law 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.
So far, the two companies have existing interconnection 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.
