Mobile Phone Firms in Thailand Unruffled by Cuts to Fixed-Line Rates.

Byline: Komsan Tortermvasana

Jul. 4--The reduction in domestic fixed-line long-distance call rates is unlikely to adversely affect the mobile phone business, according to cellular operators.

The rates will be cut from the current maximum of 18 baht a minute to between three and nine baht a minute for customers paying a monthly fee of 100 baht, and to a flat three baht a minute for those paying 200 baht a month under an agreement reached between TOT Corporation and its private fixed-line concession holders TelecomAsia and TT&T Plc.

The new system will be tried out from Sept 1 to Nov 30, after which a review will decide whether to make the rates permanent.

For customers paying the 100-baht monthly fee, the rates will be three baht a minute for calls from fixed lines to fixed lines at 0-50 kilometres, six baht for 51-100 km, and nine baht a minute for calls to destinations more than 100 km away.

Customers paying 200 baht a month will pay three baht a minute for all long-distance calls to other fixed-line users.

For calls from fixed-line numbers to mobile phones, the current rates are three, eight and 12 baht a minute. Under the new plan, the rates will be three to six baht a minute for the 100-baht monthly fee. For the 200-baht fee, the flat rate of three baht a minute will still apply.