Are we joining the era of price controls? Isn't this stiffling competition, creativity and free choice? http://postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=13821 Edith ________________________________ ZICTA introduces fixed telecommunication charges for all operators By Mutale Kapekele Fri 17 Sep. 2010, 14:00 CAT [http://postzambia.com/pics/icons/uparrow.gif]<http://postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=13821#text_size> [http://postzambia.com/pics/icons/downarrow.gif] <http://postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=13821#text_size> Text size [http://postzambia.com/pics/icons/printer.png] <http://postzambia.com/post-print_article.php?articleId=13821> Print<http://postzambia.com/post-print_article.php?articleId=13821> [http://postzambia.com/includes/thumbs/thumbs.php?w=350&id=13821]<http://postzambia.com/article_image.php?image_type=article&id=13821> File Picture: Zamtel mast THE Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has introduced fixed telecommunication charges for all operators expected to come into effect on November 1, 2010. This follows the Authority's recent cost of service study that was undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) of the United Kingdom that recommended the relaxation of tariffs. Announcing the development yesterday, ZICTA director general Margaret Kunda-Chalwe said all voice calls would be charged at 5.9 US cents (K300) per minute and reduce to 5.3 US cents on January 1, 2011 with a further reduction to 5 US cents at the beginning of 2012. She also announced that Short Message Sending (SMS) charges would with effect from November 1 be pegged at K295 reducing to K132.50 and K125 in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Chalwe said the rates for interconnection would be dominated in Zambian kwacha in conformity with the law and given the low inflation rate in the country. She also disclosed that ZICTA would implement all recommendations from PWC which included the control of telecommunication charges, the elimination of wholesale tariff discrimination and the stimulation of effective communication, among other issues. Chalwe also announced that ZICTA had made funds available for building towers in un-serviced areas where telecommunication companies could mount their transmitters. ZICTA introduces fixed telecommunication charges for all operators <http://postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=13821#text_size> <http://postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=13821#text_size> <http://postzambia.com/post-print_article.php?articleId=13821> <http://postzambia.com/post-print_article.php?articleId=13821> <http://postzambia.com/article_image.php?image_type=article&id=13821>