INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AUTHORITY

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

Port Louis,  MAURITIUS

No. ICTA/CT/TO/08/2003                                                                        12 th September, 2003

THE TELECOMMUNICATION ORDER (8 of 2003)

In exercise of the powers conferred upon it under the Information & Communication Technologies Act 2001, the Information & Communication Technologies Authority (hereinafter referred to as Authority ) hereby makes the following order in respect of tariff for cellular subscribers of both Cellplus and Emtel.

1. Short title, extent and commencement:

i. This Order shall be called "The Telecommunication Order (8 of 2003)".

ii. Telecommunication Order (8 of 2003) repeals and replaces Telecommunication Order (6 of 2003)

iii. Telecommunication Order (8 of 2003) shall come into force with immediate effect.

2.     Tariff for Cellular Subscribers

i. The Authority has determined and prescribed the Interconnection Usage Charge (IUC) in respect of mobile to fixed, fixed to mobile, and other types of calls - in terms of Telecommunication Order No.7 of 2003.

ii. The resultant tariff after considering the savings in IUC charges is specified in Schedule-I hereto.

iii. The resultant tariff will be the maximum that can be charged from subscribers. The operators may at their option charge a lower amount than the one arrived at after applying the reduction prescribed in Schedule-I.

iv. The revised charges in accordance with the above are to be implemented and reported to the Authority by 15 th September 2003.         

3. Explanatory Memorandum

            This order contains at Annexure-A, an explanatory memorandum regarding the tariffs specified in this order.

BY ORDER

N. Parameswaran

Executive Director

To:

i.   M/s Cellplus Mobile communications Limited, 9th Floor, Telecom Tower, Port Louis .

ii.  M/s Emtel Limited, 1, Boundary Road, Rose Hill.

Schedule-I to Telecommunication Order No. 8 of 2003

Annexure-A

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1. For calls between the mobile and fixed networks the mobile operators are paying  to Mauritius Telecom Limited, irrespective of the direction of the call, as below:

Mobile to Fixed Call (paid by Call Originating Operator)                    Rs.1.7496 per minute

Fixed to Mobile Call (paid by Call Terminating Operator)                   Rs.1.2150 per minute

2. These charges ultimately form part of the charges levied on the customers. The ICT Authority initiated fixation of cost based interconnection usage charges for calls between mobile and fixed line operators. The revised charges to be paid to the fixed line operator by the mobile operator are as under:

Mobile to Fixed Call (payable by Call Originating Operator)   Rs.1.25 per minute

Fixed to Mobile Call (payable by Call Terminating Operator)             Rs. Nil

3. Apart from tariff the net revenue is dependent upon the pulse rate fixed by the mobile operators. The existing pulse rates are 1 second to 60 seconds whereas interconnection pulses are uniformly one second. Mobile operators shall be allowed to retain 10% of gross savings in IUC, on account of this. The resultant amount, as below, is the minimum that has to be passed on as reduction in customer tariff:

All charges in Rs per minute

4. The reduction has to be allowed in all post paid plans and the pre-paid plans by both Cellplus and Emtel.

5. The existing pulse rates under all the plans will also be maintained by both operators. 

6. The new IUC payments are applicable from 15 th September 2003.  Accordingly the revised tariff will also apply from 15 th September 2003.

7. The charges for all other services and charges for other categories of calls shall be as currently applicable.