PLDT gets NTC nod to make P10/call promo permanent

By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes, The Philippine Star

Telecommunications leader Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) expects a big jump in its subscriber base as well as increased landline usage following the approval by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of its application to make permanent its P10 unlimited call promo.

"After years of a declining subscriber base, our objective for 2006 and beyond is to grow our subscribers. The P10 per call is just one of the many initiatives we intend to launch to meet this objective," PLDT senior vice president for retail business group Butch Jimenez told The STAR.

Starting on Jan. 7, postpaid subscribers of PLDT landlines can make long distance calls to other PLDT subscribers unlimited for a fixed rate of P10 per call. The same rate will apply for calls from PLDT postpaid landline subscribers to Smart mobile subscribers.

The unlimited call rates are available for a minimal monthly subscription fee of P50. Those who do not register their PLDT landline under this promo will be billed PLDT’s regular per minute rates for NDD calls and calls to Smart cellphones.

The PLDT to Smart unlimited call promo was earlier suspended following complaints raised by other telcos before the NTC on the preferential treatment being received by Smart from PLDT.

The NTC has ordered PLDT to work out a scheme whereby the P10 unlimited call can be made to apply to calls to other telcos.

PLDT assistant vice president for long distance retail marketing Gary Dujali revealed that they have already written the other telcos if they want to join the promo, but PLDT has yet to receive a response.

The PLDT landline group has more than two million subscribers which now have the freedom to call over 20 million Smart users for as often and as long as they want for only P10 per call.

Users of Vibe, PLDT’s dial-up Internet service, can also benefit from the PLDT unlimited P10 per call. Non-Vibe subscribers who avail themselves of the service can enjoy a special PLDT Vibe Internet rate at only P5 per hour. Regular rates apply for unregistered calls at p13.75 per minute for PLDT to Smart calls and P5 per minute for PLDT NDD calls.

Dujali expects the permanent unlimited rate to result not only in increased subscribers, but also increased usage and more loyal subscribers, "This promo is aimed at making the landline more relevant," he said.

PLDT’s fixed line service revenues improved to P36.7 billion in the first nine months of 2005 from P35.9 billion in the same period last year due to a significant increase in data revenues.

Quarter-on-quarter, fixed line revenues also grew to P12.5 billion as a result of a recovery in the national long distance and local exchange sectors.