Price and Access Determination for Southern Cross Capacity & Network
Fiji’s Commerce Commission has decided to regulate the price of bandwidth sourced from the Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL), effectively ordering a reduction in internet charges.
Fiji Live
Tue, 8 Jun 2010
SUVA, Fiji ---- Fiji’s Commerce Commission has decided to regulate the price of bandwidth sourced from the Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL), effectively ordering a reduction in internet charges.
Commission chairman Dr Mahendra Reddy has announced that prices will decrease by as much as 61 percent in the next two years with a reduction of 34.6 percent from next month.
Mr Reddy said with the prices of wholesale bandwidth being regulated, the commission expects retail price to get regulated automatically by an average of 34 percent to benefit the end users.
“We want the retail rates to go down as well and if this does not happen, it means the Internet Service Providers are keeping the money,” he said.
He added the commission will be coming down hard on ISPs who do this.
The regulation will also ensure operators have direct access to the Southern Cross Cable Network.
Mr Reddy said the commission undertook a study on March 4 to examine if FINTEL had Substantial Market Power (SMP) in relation to control of Fiji’s Landing Station.
“We found that FINTEL had Substantial Market Power in relation to its control of the Landing Station,” he said.
“We concluded such SMP over the Landing Station could be detrimental for the country as demonstrated by prevailing high bandwidth price offered to operators obtaining bandwidth from FINTEL.”
Click here to get the full price and access determination by the Commerce Commission.
Fiji Live
Tue, 8 Jun 2010
SUVA, Fiji ---- Fiji’s Commerce Commission has decided to regulate the price of bandwidth sourced from the Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL), effectively ordering a reduction in internet charges.
Commission chairman Dr Mahendra Reddy has announced that prices will decrease by as much as 61 percent in the next two years with a reduction of 34.6 percent from next month.
Mr Reddy said with the prices of wholesale bandwidth being regulated, the commission expects retail price to get regulated automatically by an average of 34 percent to benefit the end users.
“We want the retail rates to go down as well and if this does not happen, it means the Internet Service Providers are keeping the money,” he said.
He added the commission will be coming down hard on ISPs who do this.
The regulation will also ensure operators have direct access to the Southern Cross Cable Network.
Mr Reddy said the commission undertook a study on March 4 to examine if FINTEL had Substantial Market Power (SMP) in relation to control of Fiji’s Landing Station.
“We found that FINTEL had Substantial Market Power in relation to its control of the Landing Station,” he said.
“We concluded such SMP over the Landing Station could be detrimental for the country as demonstrated by prevailing high bandwidth price offered to operators obtaining bandwidth from FINTEL.”
Click here to get the full price and access determination by the Commerce Commission.