Cellphone users who had been charged international roaming rates for phone calls made in Kinmen or Matsu can now ask for a refund from their mobile telecommunications service providers, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) said.
According to a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News on Friday, the decision was made after a meeting called by the commission a few days ago with the Directorate General of Telecommunications and a number of the nation's telecommunications companies.
Every year, residents and visitors to the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu -- numbering around 110,000 -- have their cellphone calls picked up by relay stations in China and are therefore charged according to international roaming rates.
The report stated that the reason mobile phone calls were being picked up by Chinese relay stations was that the National Police Agency and the Directorate General of Telecommunications require telecom operators to reduce the broadcasting strength of their stations on the islands to prevent criminal gangs from placing calls from the Chinese coast.
REFUNDS
Liu Ching-fang (
He added that travelers arriving at the airports or harbors of these islands would be informed that they can choose a network manually if they make calls during their stay.
Cellphone users who have not received their latest bill can ask their operator directly to exclude the roaming fee.
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