By McPherse Thompson, Staff Reporter 
DOMESTIC TELEPHONE calls will be increased by about 65 per cent on average as Cable & Wireless Jamaica (C&WJ) seeks to rebalance its revenue with a reduction in international rates.
At the same time as it intends to increase domestic rates mostly for intra-parish calls made through its network, C&WJ will be reducing international direct dialling rates for all zones and all times to a flat fee of $18 per minute.
The increases, which have been proposed to take effect on November 1, are in keeping with the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) benchmark ruling about two years ago that US telecommunications carriers must pay out no more than US 19 cents per minute for calls coming into Jamaica.
Communications manager at the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), David Geddes, said the regulatory body received notification of the proposed increases a few days ago and they were examining the data with a view to determining if they were in keeping with those approved under the price cap regime.
C&WJ corporate communications manager, Errol Miller, said there would be an increase of about 65 per cent on average for intra-parish calls - that is those made within parishes. There would be an average of about 18 per cent for inter-parish calls - those made from one parish to another.
At the same time, there would be an overall reduction of about 25 per cent in international calls, some moving down from as high as $64 per minute, to a flat rate of $18.
However, according to a C&WJ advertisement in yesterday's edition of The Gleaner, the intra-parish rates using the company's premium brand WorldTalk prepaid calling card, will be increased by just under 200 per cent to $1.50 from 51 cents per minute for calls made during peak periods, to $1.25 from 44 cents for those made during off-peak hours and from 35 cents to $1 per minute for calls made on weekends. There has also been about a 60 per cent increase in inter-parish calls using the WorldTalk card.
On the other hand, international calls using the WorldTalk calling card have been revised down to $23 from $36 per minute for calls made to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other Caribbean islands apart from the Commonwealth Caribbean; to $38 from $52 to Western Europe, South and Central America; from $22 to $19 per minute for countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean, and to $47 from $67 per minute for calls made to the rest of the world. Those rates will, however, attract additional airtime charges for calls originating from a cellular telephone.
C&WJ has also introduced a flat fee of $10 per call for directory assistance, effective December 1. However, the fee will be applicable only to those numbers listed in the company's telephone directory. A company official said it was not a money-making venture, but was being introduced to encourage people to use their telephone directories and to ensure more efficient use of the company's resources.
Among the local fees to be affected are rental for business and residential lines, which will move up from $740 and $310 to $880 and $380 respectively. Rental for domestic and international toll free lines will be increased from $740 to $880.
Intra-parish standard domestic calls are to be increased from 24 cents per minute to 40 cents per minute during full time bands, and from 21 cents per minute to 35 cents per minute reduced. Inter-parish domestic calls are to be increased from 96 cents per minute to $1.05 per minute full, and from 71 cents per minute to 95 cents per minute reduced.
Low user intra-parish calls will attract a per minute rate of 60 cents up from 51 cents for the full time band, and 50 cents per minute up from 44 cents reduced. Inter-parish calls within the same option will attract a per minute rate of $1.60 up from $1.51, and $1.40 at the reduced rate up from $1.22.
C&WJ said there would be a 25 per cent reduction on monthly rental for data services with speeds of 512,000 and above. The rental charge for intra-parish leased circuit T1 is now $70,746 and for inter-parish $88,504.
