The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday accepted a joint proposal by the nation’s three major telecoms operators to lower their mobile phone rates.
The rate change, scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, is being implemented to comply with a policy the NCC implemented in 2007 that requires the nation’s telecoms service providers to lower their mobile phone rates each year for three consecutive years.
Approximately 3 million subscribers to mobile phone services provided by the Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信), Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大哥大) and Far Eastone Telecommunication (FET, 遠傳電信) will benefit from the latest change. Those calling from fixed-line phones to mobile phones will also enjoy cheaper call charges.
NCC spokesperson Lee Ta-sung (李大嵩) said the commission approved the rates for mobile phone services with low monthly fees, as well as those of pre-paid cards. Customers using either of these services are normally charged higher per-minute rates than those paying high monthly fees and lower call charges.
The commission is scheduled to review the charges for ADSL services next week.
The three carriers have decreased their call rates by an average of 4.88 percent in order to comply with the NCC’s policy.
For a call from a mobile phone to a fixed-line phone, Chunghwa Telecom has lowered its rates for those paying a NT$128 monthly fee from NT$0.157 per second to NT$0.147 per second.
Taiwan Mobile has reduced its rates for those paying a NT$66 per month fee to NT$0.181 per second to NT$0.17 per second.
FET decreased its call rates for those paying a NT$99 a month fee from NT$0.1531 per second to NT$0.1448 per second.
Lee said that this is the last year of the policy and the commission would review its effectiveness to see if it should continue.
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