PLDT claims Globe facilities causing  interconnection problems 

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT)  on Thursday blamed the transmission and network facilities of main rival Globe Telecom Inc. as the cause of interconnection disruptions in Northern Luzon.

 

PLDT spokesperson Ramon Isberto noted last night on Twitter that his company's network facilities in Northern Luzon is normal in terms of undisrupted interconnections with subscribers of rival Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayantel) and affiliate Digital Telecommunications of the Philippines Inc., and not as claimed by Globe in a separate advisory.

 

“Other carriers such as Bayantel and Digitel are not experiencing any trouble in the same interconnection gateway facility Globe is using. This indicates interconnection problems experienced by Globe in Northern Luzon are caused by problems in its network and transmission facilities.

 

PLDT is having multiple outages on local interconnection in several parts of Northern Luzon, Globe noted in an advisory Wednesday. “As a result, Globe landline customers will not be able to make calls to PLDT in La Union, Baguio, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija,” Globe claimed.

 

A joint venture of conglomerate Ayala Corp. and Singapore Telecom, Globe had asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to intervene in the interconnection delays with PLDT, saying only 11 out of the 32 areas for local interconnection have been accommodated for activation by its rival.

 

Globe head of National Carrier Relations Division Melvin Santos—in a letter to NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba—asked the regulator to compel PLDT to fulfill its interconnection commitments with Globe/Innove. Because of the 2006 NTC approval of a nationwide roll-out by Globe subsidiary Innove Communications Inc., the parent company initiated talks for local interconnection with PLDT in 2007.

 

Globe noted that PLDT activated nine of the 32 areas including Davao City, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Quezon, and Zamboanga City. 

 

Last year, PLDT activated only two of the six additional areas under its commitments, Globe said. — VS, GMA News