Paraguay has expanded the obligation to bill by the second to cover all fixed and mobile operations, starting October 1, local press reported.
The move was outlined in a resolution published by the telecoms regulator Conatel in December 2006, dealing with mobile-to-mobile and fixed-to-mobile calls in particular. Then another resolution in July extended the implementation deadline to October as well as expanding the requirement to include all operations by state-run fixed line incumbent Copaco.
"Mobile operators already had a per second billing scheme for calls over their own networks. Now they are implementing this scheme for interconnection with other mobile operators," Conatel technical manager Carlos Galeano told BNamericas.
"Copaco should bill 20.5 guaraniÂes (0.4 cents) for each second in fixed-to-mobile calls," local daily ABC quoted a Conatel official as saying. Copaco previously charged 1,230 guaranies per minute.
"We believe this measure will increase the level of competitiveness in the local market. We expect the scheme to initially have a negative impact on the companies' revenues, but we believe mobile and fixed traffic will increase as a result, bringing benefits to the operators," Galeano said.
Paraguay's mobile operators are Telecel, a unit of Luxembourg-based Millicom International Cellular, Hola, which is backed by Japanese investors, Telecom Argentina's unit Personal and Mexican giant America Movil's unit CTI Movil.
Posted to the site on 3rd October 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/26452.php