OPTA and NMa: Calls to Mobile Phones Will Become Much Cheaper

This is a joint press release from NMa and OPTA

The price of calls from a telephone on a fixed network to a mobile telephone will fall sharply from 1 January onwards. This fall is the direct result of a reduction in the termination tariffs of mobile telephone companies. The high termination tariffs were the reason that OPTA and NMa started proceedings earlier. NMa has now abandoned its current investigation into possible excessive tariffs. OPTA will adjust its policy with regard to the settlement of disputes between market players. In 2004 callers from a fixed network to a mobile network will benefit by at least EUR 200 million.

The current termination tariffs will have been almost halved by 1 December 2005. The reduction will occur in three stages. The first fall in tariffs will take effect on 1 January 2004 and amounts to almost 20%. As soon as the new Telecommunications Act takes effect, OPTA intends to carry out further research into the mobile market.
By passing judgement in disputes between market players, OPTA earlier tried to bring about a reduction in termination tariffs. This met with objections from the Court. NMa then took over the baton from OPTA and continued its investigation into possible excessively high termination tariffs. In the light of the sharp fall in prices, NMa will now abandon this investigation. The Netherlands is amongst the countries with the highest termination tariffs in Europe.
A termination tariff is the amount that telephone operators charge for delivering telephone calls on their own network.

see also: Press release of 1 August 2002
see also: Rapportage over de marktdefinitie van het afwikkelen van gesprekken op mobiele netten