Pricing talks stall hook-up - 'Struggle for connection rates'

[BB-Leo]

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080130/wehome.htm

Pricing talks stall hook-up

January 30, 2008


TELIKOM is still struggling against government directions to review its inter-connection rates, a situation now casting doubts on its promise to interconnect with Digicel tomorrow.
The state-owned company yesterday shifted the blame to foreign-owned Digicel, saying it was the one playing delaying tactics because it was going to lose its “temporary”�”� international gateway service if it interconnected.
But Communications Minister Patrick Tammur on Monday night told Papua New Guineans “Digicel is here to stay”�”�. Because the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission allowed Digicel to use its own international gateway pending agreements on inter-connection, he would leave the matter to the consumer watchdog to sort out.
Telikom officials, speaking on behalf of their boss Peter Loko, yesterday refused to confirm if inter-connection was going to be deferred again. The National Executive Council has not yet approved the rates as both companies are still negotiating.
But Telikom officers said “pricing is still an issue”�”� and Digicel was the one raising all the doubts about the rates, especially regarding the mobile to fixed line calls.
Telikom last week announced the Government had directed it be given a one-week grace period to review its phone call rates before it inter-connected with Digicel.
The claim Digicel was delaying inter-connection was raised last month but the Irish-owned company denied those claims, saying it had always been ready to inter-connect.
Despite Port Moresby already being ready to be connected to Digicel network, as of yesterday, the other three points of connection – Lae, Rabaul and Mt Hagen – were still undergoing technical works to allow inter-connection as scheduled tomorrow.
Asked if customers could make calls from a mobile to a landline telephone if Digicel inter-connected with Telikom, the officers said making calls from a Digicel mobile to a landline “is likely not to be possible”�”�.
Telikom officers said yesterday “all Telikom mobiles are routed through Boroko, and the bearer circuit from Boroko Exchange to Digicel tower was completed last Saturday’’.
“All other equipment needed by Telikom to interconnect B mobiles is also in place and under test. Seventy per cent of landlines are also routed through Boroko, and they are also covered by the Boroko Exchange equipment.
“Telikom engineers are currently installing the equipment at the other three points of interconnection (Kokopo, Hagen and Lae), to connect the remaining 30 per cent of landlines.”�”�
Mr Loko in Monday night’s National Broadcasting Corpo-ration’s Talk Back Show raised hopes other negotiating parties would be ready for inter-connection tomorrow, adding the state-owned teleco company was “aiming”�”� for interconnection as planned on that day.
“Our timeframe was to start the test on the 25th of January, testing ends on the 31st. I think all parties hopefully will be ready but we are working towards the 31st as we promised,”�”� Mr Loko said. Mr Loko, backed by acting Communications Secretary Henao Iduhu, could not reveal when the review process would end and whether rates would be lowered.
Mr Loko added: “I really can’t comment but market force will determine the rates.”�”�