Second Thoughts about PLDT (Wireless) Landline Plus
Sunday
Apr 27, 2008
Last month I got so excited about the PLDT Wireless landine SIM that Jepoy sent me. I wanted to see for myself how “wireless landlines” fared. And what made PLDT Landline Plus attractive was that you can plug the SIM card into any GSM phone. No need to purchase a phone based on other technologies (i.e., CDMA).
However, my expectations were not met.
Signal was good. Registering for a monthly prepaid plan was simple enough. And voice quality is generally OK. My biggest gripe is the interconnection with other networks, namely BayanTel.
I know I’m considered to be a BayanTel loyalist, as I’ve often reviewed their services here, and I’ve been a BayanTel subscriber for more than ten years now. Our home landline (and that of my folks’) is BayanTel-provided, and guess what: with the PLDT wireless landline, calling BayanTel phones is really a bother. You would not only have to redial once, but in many cases, your call would never push through even after many tries. In my case I don’t even get a “network busy” signal or message. My phone just disconnects after trying to dial a Bayantel number.
Receiving calls from Bayantel and other landline networks is not a problem, though. I can receive calls fine from any landline. But it seems impossible for mobile phones try to call PLDT wireless landline numbers.
And the promised text messaging system is still not in place. Even PLDT-to-PLDT.
In mobility and telecoms, interconnectivity is the name of the game. I remember the mid 1990′s, when PLDT was still the dominant telecoms provider, interconnectivity was such a big issue. And the new entrants’ (e.g., Bayantel, Globe, Digitel) survival largely depended on whether their users could call PLDT users and vice-versa. This was the same when SMS started to become popular.
I’m not sure if the problem is on PLDT’s or Bayantel’s side, but if “wireless” landline providers want to succeed in the market, then they better work on this fast!
J. Angelo Racoma is a technology journalist and blogger. See more of his blog posts here at racoma.com.ph, commentaries at racoma.net, and Twitter feed at @jangelo.
Comments
jayvee f.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
did my comments get through?
jayvee f.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
what you actually bought was a SMART GSM line and not a true blue CDMA landline. PLDT wireless landline makes use of SMART’s GSM network.
ppratt
April 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I think the problem is obvious: Despite orders of the NTC and Presidential Orders going back to (at least) Ramos, the Philippine national telecom network is still carrier interconnected in name only. PLDT likes it that way just fine because as the dominant monopoly carrier its monopoly rents are enhanced by the degree to which lack of true interconnection continues — by driving up the effective barriers to entry of non-monopoly players like BayanTel. When will the Philippines have a national government that finally enforces telecom regulations for the benefit of the Philippine people and the sustained growth of their economy ?
Taba
June 18th, 2008 at 3:16 am
I still can’t recieve messages from Globe celphone numbers… anyone has found out how to get around this little problem or does this involve interconnection problems with NTC? I tried asking for techinical help with both pldt and globe for this problem already…
Hilda Ong
July 27th, 2009 at 7:43 am
I agreed with what you said about PLDT landline plus. My call can not push through if I am calling a Bayantel number and globe duo number. It is very easy to connect if you are calling PLDT to PLDT.
“with the PLDT wireless landline, calling BayanTel phones is really a bother. You would not only have to redial once, but in many cases, your call would never push through even after many tries. In my case I don’t even get a “network busy†signal or message. My phone just disconnects after trying to dial a Bayantel number.”
I hope Bayantel can provide a BAYANTEL WIRELESS LANDLINE SIM that you can plug the SIM card into any GSM phone. No need to purchase a phone based on other technologies (i.e., CDMA) from Bayantel.
I hate using my Bayantel wireless unit because it is so big then they changed it to a small unit “Huawei”. WOW! You can feel the unit is very Hot on your hand and ear. I remember my friend a bayantel subscriber doesn’t like to talk yo me whenever her bayantel turned Hot already. “Ibaba ko na ha, mainit na sa tenga saka mabilis malowbatt ang battery. Naka tie up kami sa Bayantel kaya no choice to continue using their unit. Sana palitan ng Bayantel ng simcard same sa PLDT”
Communicator
October 26th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Review Wireless Landline Services Comparison in the Philippines
http://philippinestuff.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/review-wireless-landline-services-comparison-in-the-philippines/
Rey Gonzaga
May 27th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
I have been a user of a postpaid PLDT wireless landline for over a year now and I didn’t have a problem calling a Globe landline whenever I am in Manila. However, outside of Metro Manila, I can only call a PLDT number (fixed or wireless). I can send text messages to Smart, Globe, Sun, or another PLDT wireless landline user, but I can only receive text messages from Smart or PLDT wireless landline. Other networks cannot send text messages to a PLDT wireless landline because, according to a friend of mine, NTC restrictions does not allow it, and not because the system is not in place.