Calls for Termination Costs to Fall in Jordan

The Jordanian Consumer Protection Society (CPS) has called for the local GSM network, FastLink to lower its termination charges to calls from landlines, echoing pressures that are building in Europe and Korea for similar reductions. CPS's president, Mohammad Obeidat has written to the Jordanian Prime Minister asking for him to intervene and stop FastLink making, what he calls "unjustifiable profits", calling the charges "blackmail" on the Jordan population.

The CPS is claiming that the termination cost of a landline call to FastLink's GSM network is US$0.03 per minute, while the termination charge applied to Jordan Telecom is US$0.21 per minute.

The other GSM network, MobileCom has said that it is ready to lower its interconnection costs, although it is owned by Jordan Telecom (40% owned by France Telecom) which has also been calling for interconnection costs to fall. The networks licenses do call for the interconnection charges to be based on cost, so it is difficult for FastLink to justify the alleged difference between cost and price charged.'"

Posted to the site on 17th April 2002