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By Darwin G. Amojelar Reporter
THE National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC) will issue a circular mandating wireless landline
services to interconnect with other carriers for free within local
calling areas.
In a draft circular, the
regulator said there should be no interconnection access charges
between interconnected fixed lines for calls originating from and
terminating at wireless local loop (WLL) subscribers within a local
calling area.
“WLL subscribers shall be
allowed to move around, originate and receive calls anywhere within
a local calling area,” the circular said adding that all calls
made within a local calling area should be considered local calls.
The NTC circular further said
that WLL subscriber units registered within a local calling area
should not be allowed for use outside that area.
The regulator said WLL calls made
from one local calling area to another area will be considered
national long-distance calls and should be levied the appropriate
interconnection access charge.
Several local exchange carriers (LEC)
introduced WLL.
Bayan Telecommunications Inc.
rolled out its wireless landline service in key Metro Manila cities
of Marikina, Manila, Caloocan, Pasay, Pasig, and in key cities in
Visayas and Mindanao.
Its wireless landline subscribers
stood at 125,000, with annual growth rate seen at 10 percent to 15
percent within the next two years.
Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Co. and Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel)
are also offering wireless landline through Mango and Landline Plus,
respectively.
Edgardo Cabarios, head of the NTC
Common Carriers and Authorization Division said there is a market
for this kind of service as people want mobility at cheaper rates.
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