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density in the Ilocos Region has magnified twentyfold from 1989 to
1999. Six telephone lines were available for every 100 people in the
region in 1999, a vast improvement from the 1989 telephone density of
0.3 per 100 population or roughly three (3) telephone lines for every
1,000 persons. However, the 1999 figure is lower by 10.4 percent from
the 6.7 telephone density in 1998. Of the 243,694 installed lines in
the region in 1999, 83,232 were subscribed by customers while the
remaining lines are ready for subscription.
The developments that occurred in the telecommunication sector
greatly attributed to the progress during 1996-1999. The expansion
programs of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company
which started in 1996 (e.g. Zero Backlog), sharply boosted the number
of telephone lines installed in the region. The telephone to
population ratio further improved with the entry of Digitel and Smart
Telecommunication companies in the regional market in 1997 and 1998,
respectively. However, the increasing trend in the telephone density
tapered off in 1999 due to the inability of customers to afford the
monthly telephone rates, widening popularity of cellular phones,
readjustment of target demand from one area to another, and the
interconnection problems between the telecom carriers.
These developments have also extended the reach of telephone
services to more municipalities in Ilocos Region. As of 1999, 98
percent of the municipalities and cities in Pangasinan avail of the
telephone services, followed by Ilocos Norte at 82.6 percent; La
Union, 70 percent; and Ilocos Sur, at 67.6 percent. This brings 103 of
the 125 cities and municipalities in the region a phone call away.
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Table
1. Number of Installed Lines, Percentage Coverage, and
Telephone Density by Province
Region I: 1997-1999
Note: Installed lines are based on equipped capacity of local
exchange carrier
* - No. of telephone lines per 100 population. Based on the 1995-based
Population Projections
Source: National Telecommunications Commission, Region I
Table
2. Telephone Distribution by Province/City
As of December 1999
Note: Installed
lines are based on equipped capacity of local exchange carrier
Source of Basic Data:National Telecommunications Commission, Region I
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