Digicel happy with new call rates, expects savings up to 45%

Digicel Fiji today commended a decision by the Fiji Commerce Commission on interconnect call charges, hailing it as a major milestone for mobile users in Fiji.

The Commerce Commission on April 11 authorised the following Local Interconnection Rates to be effective from April 22, 2016:

• Mobile to Mobile Network Termination: 0.08c/minute
• Mobile to Fixed Line Network Termination: 0.05c/minute
• Fixed line to Mobile Network Termination: 0.08c/minute
• SMS Messages (per SMS): 0.06c/minute

Digicel said the new rates announced would bring call costs down by up to 45%.

DIGICEL: “The new rates mean that Vodafone customers will now be charged up to $0.18 less for a 30-second call made to another network. Previously a Vodafone customer paid $0.42 to call a Digicel number for a single second, now that call will cost $0.24 for a call between 1 to 30 seconds. An Inkk customer calling Digicel previously paid $0.47 for a 30-second call, now the same call will cost $0.26 for the 30-second call.”

Digicel Fiji Chief Executive Officer, Mr Darren McLean applauded the Commerce Commissioners determination, saying the previous rates had stifled competition in the market.

Mr Mclean said customers on Vodafone and Inkk will now be charged ‘far less’ for calls to fixed lines and Digicel numbers.

A Vodafone spokesperson declined to comment further but added that it was a Commerce Commission decision, and had to be complied with.