MP welcomes reduction in mobile termination rates

24th March 2011
MP welcomes reduction in mobile termination rates

Local MP, Gordon Henderson has welcomed an announcement by Ofcom that there will be a reduction in mobile termination rates – the charges that mobile operators make to other operators to connect calls to their networks.

From 1st April 2011, Ofcom will place a cap on the rates charged by the four national mobile network operators – 3UK, O2, Everything Everywhere (Orange & T-Mobile) and Vodafone. The reduction will be approximately 80% over the next four years.

If the lower termination rates are passed onto the customers this will mean it will be cheaper to call a mobile from a landline phone. A reduction will also promote competition in the mobile market, providing customers with more choice as operators will have more flexible pricing.

Mr Henderson said,

“The use of mobile phones has changed over the years with more people using text messages to communicate and using data-enabled phones to access the internet.

“A reduction in termination rates will be good news for people living in Sittingbourne and Sheppey, firstly, for the older generation who perhaps do not use mobile phones themselves but have to use a landline to contact their children and grandchildren who do have a mobile phone and secondly, for those people who are looking for more flexible mobile phone packages.”