INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AUTHORITY

1 st Floor, Jade House, Remy Ollier & Car Jummah Mosque Streets,

Port Louis,  MAURITIUS

No. ICTA/INT/TO/10(a)/2003                                                                     24 th November 2003

In exercise of the powers conferred upon it under the Information & Communication Technologies Act 2001, the Information & Communication Technologies Authority hereby makes the following determination regarding applicability of Peak and Off-Peak Timings of Telecommunication Order No. 10 of 2003 for post paid dial-up access to Internet.

1.         In view of representation made by ISP regarding the technical difficulty of implementing the Peak and Off-Peak timings as per Telecommunication Order No. 10 of 2003 for post paid dial-up access (other than packages) to Internet, the Authority hereby prescribes Peak and Off-Peak timings for post paid dial-up access to Internet as follows:

Peak Timings                           - 07.00 - 24.00hrs (All days)

Off-Peak Timings                     - 00.00 - 7.00hrs (All days)

2.         This determination shall be effective as from 1st December 2003.

3.         Telecommunication Order No. 10 of 2003 otherwise applies as prescribed.

BY ORDER 

N. Parameswaran

Executive Director

To:

i.   M/s Telecom Plus , Level 14, Telecom Tower, Edith Cavell Street, Port Louis

ii.  M/s Data Communications Ltd, Cnr Mgr Gonin & Lislet Geoffrey St, Port Louis

iii. M/s Mauritius Telecom Limited, 18 th Floor, Telecom Tower, Port Louis

Schedule-I to Telecommunication Order No. 10 of 2003

Annexure-A

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. The ICT Authority has prescribed lower Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) payable by Internet Service Providers (ISP's) to fixed line operators vide its Telecommunication Order (No.7 of 2003). 

2. For Internet access calls originated by fixed line subscribers, the ISP's are paying Rs.0.33 per minute to Mauritius Telecom Limited. These charges ultimately form part of the charges levied on the customers. The ICT Authority initiated fixation of cost based IUC for calls between various operators.  

3. The IUC payable to a fixed line operator (Mauritius Telecom) constitutes a major cost element in the pricing of Internet access charges payable by customers. Considering the importance of Internet access in the growth of ICT and in order to bring it within the reach of everyone, the Authority decided to place the IUC for dial up calls below their cost. The fixed line operator recovers the balance cost from other IUC / call charges, which have been placed above cost. 

4. The Authority has fixed Rs.0.10 per minute as IUC payable by ISP's to fixed line operators. The cost of ISP's comes down proportionately with the extent of reduction in IUC payments.  The present tariff for PSTN dial-up calls accessing Internet are Rs 0.80 per minute for peak time and Rs 0.50 per minute for off-peak time. The Authority has decided to accordingly reduce the charges payable by subscribers for accessing Internet through fixed line dial up mode. Schedule-I gives the maximum tariff applicable for peak and off peak times after considering the reduction in IUC payment. The ISP's are free to fix lower charges, after intimating same to the Authority. 

5. The ISP's are also allowing packages to their customers wherein, based on assured usage, a discount in Internet access charges is given. The Authority, for the time being, is not prescribing changes in the packages, though they would have to be realigned in accordance with the revised dial up access charges.   The tariff for the packages shall not exceed the ceilings prescribed for PSTN dial-up charges for accessing Internet, at Schedule I.  The operators may modify charges / hours in the packages and intimate same to the Authority before implementation. 

6. The ISP's will also maintain the existing pulse rates. 

7. The revised Internet access tariff will apply from 1 st October 2003.

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