ev3v4hnThe Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) may reduce the charges for off-net calls after reviewing the Mobile Termination Rate (MTR), as hinted in the official documents of the authority.
As per reports quoting the official documents, the MTR is a critical factor in protecting smaller players and automatically rationalizing retail tariffs, especially for off-net calls.
The MTR or mobile termination rate is the amount that the receiving operator must charge when a call is made to another network.
The documents revealed that the changing market structure of the cellular mobile segment in Pakistan requires a review of the existing termination rate at Re 0.90 per minute.
Earlier in 2019, after detailed consultations, the telecommunication authority had reduced the MTR for every type of call including local, long-distance and international incoming, terminated on cellular networks form other mobile networks or fixed network from Re 0.90 to Re 0.80.
Later in 2020, this rate was further reduced by the authority to Re 0.70 in 2020.
Now the recent documents revealed that to provide relief to the customers, the authority will be reviewing the MTR further in line with the international best practices.
In 2010, the MTR of Re 0.90 per minute was determined and no operator could charge less than this rate.
All the stakeholders had been asked by the PTA to share their input in revising the MTR. Subsequently, the MTR will be reviewed in the coming years in line with the international best practices.
It is expected that the revised MTR will help to keep tariffs low for consumers.
Moreover, PTA from time to time carries out a regular check on the cellular networks, to verify that the CMOs are charging their customers retail tariffs according to the advertised rates.
