Per-second calls 'cost more'

Per-second calls 'cost more'

A consumer protection panel has found new per-second phone charge packages do not cut phone fees for users but on the contrary raise bills sharply. (Photo by Tanarak Khunton)
A consumer protection panel has found new per-second phone charge packages do not cut phone fees for users but on the contrary raise bills sharply. (Photo by Tanarak Khunton)

People actually end up paying more for calls under packages offered by crafty mobile phone operators charging the new per second rates, according to the consumer protection panel that campaigned for the change from rounded-up per minute rates.

Responding to pressure from the National Reform Council's (NRC) consumer protection committee, mobile phone operators in January agreed to charge clients per second of airtime used, instead of charging by the minute with extra seconds rounded out to an extra full minute

It was intended the per-second approach would help reduce the overall cost to phone users.

However, the head of the NRC's consumer panel Saree Aongsomwang said on Tuesday that the new per-second phone packages from AIS, Dtac and True Move cost clients more and cut benefits compared with the previous per-minute charge packages.

For example, AIS's new iSecond service package charged 345 baht for 80 minutes of airtime, or 4.31 baht per minute, while the old iSmart package charged 399 baht for 150 minutes of airtime or 2.66 baht per minute.

Users were therefore being charged 62% more under the new package, she said.

She also said that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) set the  rate ceiling for the 2G mobile phone service at 0.99 baht per minute.

Miss Saree said the new service packages were too complicated for general phone users to notice how they were being treated.

She urged the NBTC to quickly issue regulations to protect consumers in this case.

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