OPTA: Calls from landline to mobile phones are to become cheaper
Calls from landline to mobile phones are to become cheaper. This is the outcome of policy rules which OPTA decided on yesterday evening. OPTA will enforce these rules in relation to disputes between mobile operators.
Calls from a fixed connection to a mobile phone are much more expensive than the other way round. OPTA will be ending this situation by reducing the so-called terminating tariffs. These are the tariffs which a mobile operator charges other providers for carrying calls to its subscribers. At present every mobile operator still determines the level of its own terminating tariffs and is not confined by the constraints of competition in this respect. This has led to a situation in which the current terminating charges of all mobile operators in the Netherlands are substantially higher than the corresponding figures for those countries which perform the best in Europe.
Initial reduction on 1 May 2002
OPTA is of the opinion that the gradual adjustment of the market to the level of tariffs it envisages is preferable to an immediate, comprehensive reduction of the relevant charges. The policy rules provide for a transitional period of eight months and the reduction of tariffs in two stages, on 1 May and 1 December 2002. Consequently, mobile operators will have adequate opportunity to bring their operations into line with the new charges.
These tariffs will be lowered as follows.
The decrease in terminating tariffs over time
| Mobile operator | Current average tariff | 1 May 2002 | 1 December 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPN Mobile, Vodafone | 18.39 | 15.48 (maximum) | 12.57 (maximum) |
| Ben, Dutchtone, Telfort | 20.077 | 18.11 (maximum) | 16.14 (maximum) |
(amounts in eurocents per minute of each call)
In the past, KPN Mobile and Vodafone have been required to pay less for their frequencies than Dutchtone, Telfort and Ben. In addition, KPN Mobile and Vodafone have enjoyed a lead of several years with the roll-out of their networks. It is partly thanks to this lead and the fact that they have more customers (resulting in economies of scale) the tariff payable for each minute may be less in the case of KPN Mobile and Vodafone than the other mobile operators. OPTA therefore deems it reasonable that, when determining a reasonable maximum terminating tariff, a distinction be drawn between the situations of the various mobile operators for the time being.