12 Dec 2003
 

Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited (M-Tel) has announced a new billing regime to take effect when it re-launches its network on December 17 this year.

In the tariffs unveiled yesterday, the operator would charge 63k per minute for calls within its network and 70k per minute for calls to other networks. It is the lowest tariff so far announced by any of the GSM operators. It is also the first network to opt for per second billing only without an option of per minute billing.

For calls from M-Tel to fixed operators, it is 64k during peak period and 47k off-peak period. Tariff to other GSM operators during off peak period is 57k and at night 42k. M-Tel charges a night rate of 20k for calls within its network.

The non-availability of per minute billing means that the N100 fee charged by some operators for migrating from one billing platform to another is completely absent in the M-Tel network.

On the post-paid package, which also attracts a connection fee of N10, 000 like the pre-paid, a monthly access fee of N10, 000 is required and a security deposit of N10, 000 for national calls and N50, 000 for subscribers wishing to make international calls. The security deposit is to make up for the subscribers initial calls.

On the post-paid package, M-Tel charges 47k on calls within its network and to other operators during peak-period, and 40k during off peak period. It charges 20k for calls within network at night, To other GSM operators, M-Tel charges 57k during peak period, 50k during off-peak period and 42k night rate for calls to other operators.

The new lowest denomination card of N400 has also been introduced on the network.

The Chief Executive Officer of M-Tel, Mr. Aad Loois, stated that the new tariff was the result of account settlement agreement reached with other operators.

Furthermore, on the M-Tel network, a user could be allowed to stay on the network without using his phone for a total of 180 days. A N400 recharge card gives airtime validity for 15 days, N1000 card for 30 days and a N2000 recharge card for 60 days.

SMS attracts a charge of N10 while calls which terminates on voicemail also attracts a charge of N10.

According to Loois, the company being a wholly owned Nigerian company had to stand firm and be fair minded in its desire to serve the Nigerian people by charging the rock bottom price it is charging despite pressure to act otherwise on account of interconnection agreement with other operators.

He assured that the network now has a seamless interconnection with all the telecommunication operators except with MTN which is being worked out.

When asked whether the interconnection problem being experienced by users of M-Tel phone would not persist, Loois said, "Not anymore. Today from M-Tel phone, you can call Nitel easily. You can call Globacom easily. You can call Econet with one or two trials. The only missing link is MTN.

 

But even with MTN, our people are working right now and any moment from now direct interconnection between our network and MTN should be effected, here in Lagos and in Abuja. And that means the end of the interconnectivity problem.

 

This also brings an end to the situation where some people have to be working with two or three handsets which is beneficial only to the handset dealers but to nobody else."

Promising that M-Tel would be in all the state capitals and the major cities in each state before the end of the year, Loois also stated that Nitel subscriber base would hit 400,000 in three months.

With the announcement of per second billing by M-Tel, the roll call of GSM operators implementing the per second billing, a principal demand by GSM subscribers on account of poor quality of service, has been completed.