GLOBE Telecom on Wednesday said it has completed network interconnection with Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) in three major provinces in Luzon.
In a statement, the Ayala-led telco said that residents and business establishments in La Union, Nueva Ecija, and Benguet can now enjoy more affordable and efficient telecommunication services from the two major operators.

The local interconnection paves the way for subscribers in a specific province or city to make calls via seven-digit local dialing without paying long distance charges. Without interconnection, a Globe landline subscriber would have to pay long distance rates to call a PLDT landline subscriber within the same area, and vice-versa. Areas covered in La Union are San Fernando, Bauang, Agoo, Naguillian, Caba, Aringay, Rosario and San Juan.

For Benguet, covered areas are Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, and Tublay. In Nueva Ecija, residents and business establishments in Cabanatuan City, San Jose, Gapan, Guimba, Cabiao, San Isidro, Munoz, Jaen, San Antonio, Palayan City, Rizal, San Leonardo, Santo Domingo, Talavera, and Sta. Rosa will benefit from the activation of network interconnection between Globe and PLDT.

Nueva Ecija is considered the main rice-growing province of the Philippines and is one of the top producers of agricultural products in the country. La Union and Benguet host a variety of industries that significantly contribute to their growing economies: service, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and tourism.

“The successful activation of local interconnection in La Union, Benguet and Nueva Ecija is indeed one good reason to celebrate the Yuletide season, especially as it benefits more subscribers in the country who deserve and quality affordable telecom services,” Froilan Castelo, head for Corporate and Legal Services Group of Globe said.

“This is definitely a huge milestone for the three provinces as part of our compliance to the request of NTC to boost the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, with Globe always committed to serve and protect public interest and consumer welfare,” he added.

Early this year, Globe activated network interconnection with PLDT in Pampanga, Bulacan,
Zamboanga, Laguna and Quezon. The interconnection was made possible through the intervention of local governments and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Globe has vowed to forge more interconnection agreements with PLDT by 2012.

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 2011.

Under Republic Act 7925, the NTC mandates compulsory interconnection of authorized public telecommunications carriers. This 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.