MANILA, Philippines, November 19, 2014 – Leading multimedia and telecoms company PLDT is opening up interconnection links with another telco services provider in four more provinces to allow free local calls between their subscribers.

Under the agreement, PLDT customers will be able to make local calls to Globelines subscribers for free by the end of the year in the following provinces: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Zambales, and Misamis Occidental.

“Our subscribers in Ilocos, Zambales, and Misamis Occidental will soon be able to call their friends, family members, and business associates within their provinces anytime, without worrying about long distance charges,” said PLDT Spokesperson Ramon R. Isberto.

PLDT has business offices in these areas that serve walk-in telephone applicants, actual installation and repair, accepts bills payment, services report repairs, and billing concerns. It offers voice, video, and data or triple play services on a single internet protocol (IP) platform.

Isberto added that the IP backbone runs on PLDT’s Domestic Fiber Optic Network (DFON), the most extensive fiber optics network in the country – now over 90,000 kilometers long – which facilitates the direct transmission of the internet data to our gateway, providing subscribers fast and reliable internet experience.

In July this year, PLDT has also set up interconnection links in Pangasinan in Northern Luzon which enabled PLDT customers to call the other telco’s subscribers in the area for free.

In August, PLDT’s services in the Bicol region were also interconnected with Globelines in the provinces of Albay and Sorsogon.

The free local calls to Globelines subscribers in Albay covered the following cities and municipalities: Daraga, Guinobatan, Legazpi City, Ligao City, Oas, Polangui, Tabaco City, and Camalig.

Meanwhile, Sorsogueños are now making free phone calls to their family, friends, and business partners in Sorsogon City and the surrounding towns of Bulan, Castilla, Gubat, Casiguran, and Donsol.

PLDT earlier reported a 5% increase to P48.5 billion in its fixed line service revenues at the end of the third quarter of 2014, on the back of consistent double-digit gains in data and broadband revenues, and defying global trends.

Through its home digital services group PLDT HOME, PLDT has also maintained its leadership in fixed broadband with a 70% market share at the end of the third quarter of the year.