THE EDITOR, Sir:
I write in reference to an article in The Gleaner of Tuesday, January 31, which was headlined: 'C&W's new nat'l rate a burden, say customers'.
At the heart of the article is a claim by a named customer, who is reported to have told your reporter that because of the introduction of the single national rate (SNR) in October 2005, her bill went up from $3,000 to $11,000.
I have personally reviewed the customer's bills and my findings indicate that the customer's claims in regard to the SNR are a gross exaggeration. Moreover, the facts of this case are so far removed from the customer's contention that it's puzzling to understand how she could have made this claim.
Without detailing the customer's billing information, our review has shown that charges for local fixed line to fixed line calls (at the Single National Rate) were responsible for only $1,800 of the $11, 000 bill referred to in the article. The remainder of the bill was made up of charges for international calls, calls to mobile phones, government taxes and rental.
As we have said in the past, the introduction of the SNR could cause an increase in the fixed-to-fixed calling charges for some customers, while it could mean a reduction for some, depending on their calling pattern. However, the reality in this case is that $9,905 of the $11,000 bill had absolutely nothing to do with charges for calls at the Single National Rate.
I am, etc.,
ERROL K. MILLER
Vice President Corporate
Communications
& Corporate Affairs
Cable and Wireless Jamaica
