The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will move to an eight-digit landline number format starting 6 October 2019, in accordance with Memorandum Order 10-10-2017, issued in October last year which required all telcos to migrate customers within the area code ‘02’ to ensure that there continues to be sufficient numbers available to cater for the growth of landline accounts in major cities. Ayala-led Globe Telecom (including Innove) general counsel Froilan Castelo has said the firm is prepared to migrate all customers in Greater Metro Manila to the new format, in compliance with the directive, while PLDT has also announced its readiness for the migration from the existing seven-digit format to eight digits.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the NTC had planned to make the switch to eight-digit landlines in March 2019 but postponed the move following an intervention from stakeholders of the local banking industry. At the time, the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) requested the delay. ‘BAP and CCAP initially requested for deferment of the implementation to January 2020. Extensive consultations were conducted between the Commission, public telecommunications entities (PTEs), BAP, and CCAP,’ a public statement confirmed.