Surge in mobile data leads to cheaper calls

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 1 Apr 2010 at 09:23

The cost of making calls to mobile phones could fall following new rules imposed by regulator Ofcom.

The fall follows a sharp cut in termination rates - the charges mobile companies impose for connecting calls to their network. Ofcom has decreed that these charges will fall from 4.3p per minute today (4.6p on the 3 network) to 0.5p in 2015. The charges will decrease on a sliding scale over the next five years.

Today's consumers are as likely to send text messages or emails as make phone calls

Ofcom said it's forcing down the rates because voice calls make up increasingly less of the cost of running mobile networks. "Today's consumers are as likely to send text messages or emails as make phone calls, and mobiles are increasingly used to connect to the internet," the regulator claims. "According to Ofcom figures, the volume of data traffic over mobile networks has increased by 200% over the last year."

"BT's one reservation is that it will be four years before businesses and consumers see the full benefit of lower mobile termination rates," the company adds.

While the decision is unlikely to reduce the cost of mobile-to-mobile calls - as the mobile networks pay out as much as they reap from termination fees - it could result in cheaper calls from landlines.

"Reductions in mobile termination rates are good for businesses and consumers alike and BT will make sure its customers see the benefit with cheaper calls to mobiles, including fixed price all-you-can-eat packages that take the worry out calling mobile phones," BT claims in a statement.