SNPL, the operator of Mero Mobile, has said local call made from Mero Mobile prepaid phone to GSM and CDMA mobile phones of Nepal Telecom (NT) will cost Rs 2.53 per minute (excluding taxes) from April 14. Likewise, per minute tariff rate on local calls made from Mero Mobile postpaid phone to NT’s GSM and CDMA mobile phones is fixed at Rs 2.29. Earlier, these calls would cost Rs 3.99 and Rs 2.75, respectively.
SNPL has also brought down per minute cost of calls made from its prepaid phones to landline and fixed-phone lines of NT and UTL to Rs 2.13 – a reduction of 39 percent. Similarly, calls made from Mero Mobile’s postpaid to landline and fixed-phone lines of NT and UTL will cost Rs 1.89 per minute.
SNPL, first privately-run cell phone company in Nepal, had brought down tariff rates following reduction in interconnection charges. Interconnection charges are charges accumulated by telecom companies for using each other’s network. This means if a Mero Mobile customer calls an NT customer, Mero Mobile has to pay certain amount to NT for using NT’s network. Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the telecom regulatory body of the country, recently fixed a ceiling of Rs 0.54 per minute on this rate.
Mero Mobile has also announced to bring down tariff rates on local calls made from its prepaid phone to UTL’s fixed phone and limited mobility phone to Rs 2.33 and Rs 2.83, respectively. The cost of these calls stood at Rs 3.99 earlier. Similarly, per minute tariffs on calls made from Mero Mobile postpaid phone to UTL’s fixed phone and limited mobility phone have been reduced to Rs 2.09 and Rs 2.59, respectively, from Rs 2.75 of the past.
On the occasion of Nepali New Year, UTL, the first privately-run basic phone service provider, has also announced reduction in its tariff rates.
Beginning April 14, local calls made from UTL’s fixed and limited-mobility phones to Mero Mobile will cost Rs 1.50 per minute – down from Rs 2 of the past. Likewise, long distance calls made from UTL phones to Mero Mobile will cost Rs 2, a reduction of 25 percent. UTL has also reduced tariff rates on local calls within its network to Rs 0.60 per minute during off hours, ie from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Revised tariff rates of SNPL, operator of Mero Mobile
| Calls from – to | Per min tariff (Old) | Per min tariff (New) |
| Mero Prepaid – NT Prepaid (GSM/CDMA) | Rs 3.99 | Rs 2.53 |
| Mero Postpaid – NT Postpaid (GSM/CDMA) | Rs 2.75 | Rs 2.29 |
| Mero Prepaid – UTL local charge area | Rs 3.99 | Rs 2.33 |
| Mero Postpaid – UTL local charge area | Rs 2.75 | Rs 2.09 |
| Mero Prepaid – UTL different charge area | Rs 3.99 | Rs 2.83 |
| Mero Postpaid – UTL different charge area | Rs 2.75 | Rs 2.59 |
| Mero Prepaid – NT, UTL fixed (Local) | Rs 3.49 | Rs 2.13 |
| Mero Postpaid – NT, UTL fixed (Local) | Rs 2.75 | Rs 1.89 |
| Mero Prepaid – NT, UTL fixed (intra-zone) | Rs 3.49 | Rs 2.79 |
| Mero Postpaid – NT, UTL fixed (intra-zone) | Rs 2.75 | Rs 2.55 |
| Mero Prepaid – NT, UTL fixed (inter-zone) | Rs 3.49 | Rs 2.81 |
| Mero Postpaid – NT, UTL fixed (inter-zone) | Rs 2.75 | Rs 2.57 |
*Above mentioned tariffs are exclusive of taxes
Revised tariff rates of UTL
| Calls from – to | Per min tariff (Old) | Per min tariff (New) |
| UTL fixed to UTL fixed (Local 10pm to 6am) | Rs 0.80 | Rs 0.60 |
| UTL to Mero (local from 6am to 10pm) | Rs 2.00 | Rs 1.50 |
| UTL to Mero (Intra-zone) | Rs 2.50 | Rs 2.00 |
| UTL to UTL (Inter zone from 6pm-10pm & 6am to 8am) | Rs 3.00 | Rs 1.50 |
| UTL to NT (Inter zone from 8am to 6pm) | Rs 4.00 | Rs 3.20 |
*Above mentioned tariffs are exclusive of taxes
Related story
A phone to buy? How about a Drone Phone?
