Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Globe Telecom have revealed plans to further expand their existing interconnection arrangements to cover more provinces. As such, the companies are considering inking a deal covering the provinces of Zambales, Misamis Occidental and Ilocos Norte, after formalising a similar agreement in Pangasinan on 1 July. Globe and PLDT already boast interconnection agreements in Metro Manila and the provinces of Batangas, Benguet, Bohol, Bulacan, Capiz, Cavite, Cebu, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, South Cotabato, Iloilo, La Union, Laguna, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Quezon, Tarlac and Zamboanga. Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo added that the telco is also open to discussions for potential interconnection arrangements with other local exchange carriers.
In other news, Globe Telecom has stated that it expects to secure approval from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for a debt restructuring that will result in Globe’s previously announced takeover of Bayan Telecommunications (Bayantel). Globe Telecom CEO Ernest L. Cu expects that the approval will be given by the end of this month. In a joint application, filed back in October 2013, Globe Telecom sought authorisation from the NTC to take a controlling stake in Bayantel.
Finally, PLDT has spent PHP600 million (USD13.8 million) to install a climate-resilient fibre-optic network in Bohol to help boost the economy of the earthquake-stricken province. The telco notes that its deployment consists of more than 245km of terrestrial and sub-sea fibre. In the north the cable connects Loon to Mactan (Cebu Province) and in the south links Garcia Hernandez to Kinoguitan (Misamis Oriental Province).