ICCC tight-lipped over final mobile termination rates

National, Normal
Source:

PATRICK TALU

THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) is unable to provide specific detail of the final interim determination as it remains protected under a confidentiality agreement between Telikom PNG Ltd, bemobile and Digicel PNG.
However, ICCC announced the wholesale mobile termination rate (MTR) had fallen while other rates for short messages services (SMS) and fixed termination rates (FTR) had remained the same.
Although it was formally announced, the actual rates for MTR, FTR and SMS were not disclosed but it is understood that from an earlier announcement last month, MTR remained at 15% lower than the previous rate.
The old MTR delayed from June were 46 toea per minute for peak, and 42 toea per minute for off-peak period.
ICCC said these interconnection rates were charged between telecommunications carriers, and were not directly related to the real prices the carriers charged their customers for the services they provided.
The term of the interim determination was applicable from June 12 to December this year.
ICCC said while the telecommunication legislation provided that any interim determination for arbitration could only apply for a maximum of 12 month, Government policy to ICCC prevented it from making a decision that would operate beyond Dec 31 this year.
Given the interim determination will only apply for the period of six months up to the end of December; ICCC said parties would now have to start serious negotiation for a long-term interconnection rate.