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DEMAND for wireless landline service in the Philippines is projected
to surge as operators offer unlimited voice calls, the International
Data Corp. (IDC) said on Tuesday.
In a statement, IDC said the service is becoming
more popular in certain markets as operators use the technology to
offer unlimited voice calls that resemble services offered by
traditional landlines.
Despite the wild success of Global System for
Mobile communications (GSM) mobile services, there remains
significant pent-up demand for wireless landline as the pricing of
GSM services makes frequent calls unaffordable to many, the research
firm said.
IDC added that fixed-line penetration remains
low in a number of largely populated markets such as Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayan) 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 .
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and
Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) also offer the
service through Mango and Landline Plus, respectively.
Earlier, the National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC) issued a draft circular ordering the
interconnection of wireless landline service to other carriers for
free within local calling areas.
The NTC said that there should be no
interconnection access charges between interconnected fixed line for
calls originating from or terminating at wireless local loop
subscribers within a local calling area.
“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 subscriber
units registered within a local calling area should not be used
outside the local calling area.
The regulator said wireless landline calls made
from one local calling area to another local calling area will be
considered national long distance calls and be imposed the
appropriate interconnection access charge.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar
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