Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS

Opinion Articles

Monday, March 21, 2011

BT increases fixed-line charges as Mobile Termination Rates fall

Mark Bridge writes:

The Terminate The Rate campaign has pretty much run its course. Its aim was to get Mobile Termination Rates reduced. These are the wholesale charges paid when a mobile or fixed-line network connects a call from one of its customers to a rival. Lower MTRs would mean better deals on call charges, the campaign argued.

With Ofcom’s recent announcement that MTRs were going to fall pretty dramatically over the next few years, the campaign is as good as done. I’ll admit to a bit of cynicism when the campaign launched, not least because the European Commission was arguing for the same thing.

The two campaign champions were BT and Three UK. “BT and 3 are working together on a petition that will lower your phone bill by reducing the level of Mobile Termination Rates”. Three, despite having benefited from high MTRs in the past, now wanted them cut. It promised better tariff deals - and, to its credit, it’s delivered.

BT, however, doesn’t appear to be acting so positively. Last year it talked about the benefits of reducing mobile termination rates, saying it would pass the benefit of reduced MTRs onto its customers… but this week, less than a fortnight before UK termination rates drop by over a third, it’s increasing its call charges.

Yes, increasing. The Guardian reports that BT’s UK call charges are going up by 9% at the end of April, with line rental also rising. Millions of consumers will be affected, says The Telegraph.

Hmmm. Perhaps my cynicism about the Terminate The Rate campaign wasn’t quite so misplaced after all. Well done, Three UK. BT, you’ve got some explaining to do.

Print
Author: The Fonecast
4 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Categories: Networks and operators, OpinionNumber of views: 11686

Tags: uk three mtr bt tariff

4 comments on article "BT increases fixed-line charges as Mobile Termination Rates fall"

2
0
Avatar image

Mark

3/22/2011 2:04 PM

BT's press office has called me to point out that its call charge increases were put in place before Ofcom's MTR decision - and that BT has recently confirmed its commitment to providing cheaper landline calls to mobiles. A further BT announcement about fixed-to-mobile call charges is expected in the next few months.


0
0
Avatar image

David

3/22/2011 7:59 PM

There's more to BT's price changes than simply offsetting their "mobile terminating" losses. Lets be accurate here - none of the providers have to reduce their prices, their costs are just reduced - so their margins are all higher. As with all markets dominated by a single principal organisation everybody else will sit and watch what BT does. If, as expected, BT slash prices and start bundling calls in their packages we can expect smaller resellers to struggle to compete effectively where Mobile calls account for 30% of their total revenue.

BT have raised their prices 5, 6 times now in the last two years alone. When you couple in their removal of the £1.25 discount for non-paper billing last year (re-iterated this year) their package costs have increased by close to £3, whilst their calls have added 3p in connection fee alone, and 2 to 3p on UK Landline calls outside of their packages.

Much like their "free connection" scam (the one that requires to make 10 calls every month in order to avoid a £5 penalty fee for an unspecified period of time) BT actively misleading with their literature.

That they can continue to sell their products advertising their current rates in the knowledge that they are going to be instituting changes so profound to their billing is the icing on the cake.

That they have the gall to then attack TalkTalk (along with their Plusnet lackey) for a particular advertising technique that was undeniably accurate unless by contortion you specifically ignored BT's unavoidable billing charge that would allow them to proclaim their Line Rental was but £10 a month....no it's not BT. It's £11.25. The adjudication from the ASA is linked in my profile for those interested in the blatant lies BT had to tell, not least the simple fact that only one form if discount can be taken with any single BT product.

If you want to see how insincere Plusnet are about their product, just check out their broadband comparison system and observe how TalkTalk are "hiidden" on a seperate pop-up to conceal the clear "value" disparity.


0
0
Avatar image

InsureThatMobile

4/4/2011 5:07 PM

Theres just something about bt that i just dont trust there, there are always hidden charges somewhere.

how long will it be untill we dont even need lines with the way the mobile phone industry is going surely sooner or later everything will be done by mobile, you'll just have a house phone with a simcard.

i think this is probably why bt are putting in fiber optic cable because they know that line rental can last forever, and as virgine dont charge you any line rental for the optic line then they wont beable to charg us there :D

i would start on three but it just too easy although they have opened call centers in the uk i still manage to talk to some one in pakistan.


0
0
Avatar image

The Fonecast

5/24/2011 7:41 PM

BT has announced it's cutting fixed-to-mobile charges from 28th May - and is planning an "unlimited" tariff for mobile calls as well. bit.ly/lcSjsP

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Recent Podcasts

The Mobile Academy: a masterclass for mobile success

Podcast - 1st February 2013

The Mobile Academy offers a London-based masterclass designed to give you a helping hand with mobile innovation, whether you're an entrepreneur, a business owner, a developer or a designer.

We've been talking to Julia Shalet, Course Director of the Mobile Academy, to learn more about the next 10-week course.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: 5.0

Smartphones keep selling, Firefox goes mobile and BlackBerry prepares for launch

Podcast - 30th January 2013

The last of the 2012 quarterly results are coming in, so it's time to compare figures from the biggest mobile handset manufacturers.

We're also looking at Twitter's new video app, discussing the forthcoming Firefox OS and preparing for the BlackBerry 10 launch later today.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UTuneMe introduces personalised audio advertising on smartphones

Podcast - 25th January 2013

In this special feature we're talking to Shankar Meembat, co-founder and CEO of Exaget, about the company's new UTuneMe service.

It lets broadcasters add targeted audio advertisements to radio programmes that are streamed onto smartphones.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Mobile payments, mobile retailing, mobile networks and mobile makers

Podcast - 23rd January 2013

It's another packed podcast this week, starting with mobile payments and ending with DIY mobile accessories.

We also cover manufacturing news, mobile VoIP calling, a new virtual network heading for the UK high street, shop closures, smart accessories and phablets.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

This week's mobile industry podcast, from hungry smartphones to high-street retailing

Podcast - 16th January 2013

We start this week with a look at troubled UK retailer HMV before moving on to research that sheds new light on mobile data usage.

You'll also find a new mapping app, increasing free WiFi coverage, a phone service designed for children and preliminary quarterly results from Samsung and Nokia.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: 5.0
RSS
First2324252628303132Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«December 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
2526272829301
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
303112345

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement