Onus on ISPs to lower internet cost

TELIKOM chief executive officer, Charles Litau, says it has done its part by reducing internet wholesale rates by 68% and the onus is on internet service providers (ISPs) to pass on the benefits to consumers.
Chairman, Mahesh Patel, concurs and says the telco still needs to do a lot more work to bring down internet prices further.
He says Telikom will not be responsible for the rates passed on to consumers
“We hope that they (ISPs) will be able to translate the drop from 9t to 3t (per megabyte),” he told The National.
“That’s the wholesale benefit that will be going to the ISPs.
“In terms of real benefit flow-ons of the 70% reduction, we are offering it firstly to our wholesalers (ISPs).
“How it trickles down from there is up to individual ISPs accordingly.
“We are making no excuses.
“We are very proactive with government interaction to make internet available and to make bandwidth cheaper, buy ISPs also have to make money.
“It depends on what kinds of platforms and what kinds of plans that they sell at retail.”
Litau added: “The ISPs are independent companies on their own.
“They have their own price plans, their own programmes.
“I take no responsibility for what the (retail) prices will be.”
Patel says the reduction needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
“The main point is that it’s only a start,” he said.