Business Times

TRC to re-look interconnection/minimum floor rates by year end

By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera

Sri Lanka’s telecommunication industry is reviewing its directives on two important rates which were imposed on the industry players this year, officials said.

Anusha Pelpita, Director General Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) told the Business Times that the Interconnection Rate (which is the fee charged by the caller receiving party from a call originating party; E.g.; from Dialog to Mobitel) and the minimum outgoing call rates will be revisited by the end of this year.

The Commission in May directed a charge of 50 cents per call and 15 cents IC for Short Message Services (SMS) to be implemented by June 1 on five mobile operators - Dialog, Mobitel, Airtel, Hutch and Etisalat and also four fixed lines – Sri Lanka Telecom, Suntel, Lanka Bell and Dialog Broadband while from Thursday onwards the minimum outgoing call rate was implemented at Rs 2.

Interconnection is specified to ensure fair compensation for the use of the receiving party network infrastructure by the network originating the call. The rate applies in both directions and hence represents parity and fair bilateral compensation.

“We will look into the performance of the industry (in terms of profitability) and decide whether to increase or reduce these rates,” he added. He said that TRC is setting the pace for the players to contribute 1% to the Gross Domestic product (GDP) by next year. “Last year this sector lost Rs. 15 billion due to the unhealthy competition, but next year, we want to change this. This year we’re working on it,” he said.

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other Business Times Articles
SLT halts job cuts, aims to enhance productivity
Helitours dressed up; ready to go as a commercial venture
Etisalat interested in Suntel
GK fraud case to drag on for indefinite period
UK parent takes control of Finlays Colombo
GK protestors released on bail
Quality time at Coke
Comment - Kotelawala era winds down
Feature - Customised and waste-free
Feature - What does the rise of the East and collapse of the West really mean?
CB grants first Credit Guarantee Scheme facility to IFL
Jaffna to be developed as a knowledge hub
New Board of Directors at PC House
Etisalat increased business through pre-paid products
SL must double credit flow to achieve target growth
23% of GDP logistics costs resulting in too high cost of living
E-government policy reduces public inconvenience
ABC Extra Stout Bags Gold at Asia Beer Awards 2010
Lanka’s Coke plant: Where workers and management share same goal
Virtusa ventures into social media
Good Performance by CSE in 2009, must improve poor liquidity: annual report
Lanka Tiles posts increased profits
SriLankan Airlines deploys world-class messaging solution from Microsoft
Logistics, inclusion added to NBQSA awards categories
First Sri Lankan appointed to regional chamber
Munchee bridge replaces coconut trunk-crossing
Depositor files action against F & G for default on maturity payment
‘Chandiya’ foreign policy negative for Sri Lanka: veteran trade unionist
HSBC appointed advisor on Lankan ratings
IPO oversubscription raises concerns
Buy SL govt bonds, t-bills, recommends HSBC
Sri Lanka no longer needs Wall Street type of banks : PBJ
TRC to re-look interconnection/minimum floor rates by year end
16 teams vie for MTI Venture Start-Up Challenge
Security, server and cloud software from Novell now in SL
Huge development opportunities ahead in post-war scenario
Thomson Reuters’ Islamic Finance Head to headline SL event
Asoka Peiris to lead Singer as new Group CEO
ICASL says adopting new standard
PC House offers shares to the public
SEC inquiring into rejected broker application appeals
Part one – derivative basic terms

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2010 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution