Communication Authority of Kenya Director-General Ezra Chiloba has announced that from January 2022, Kenyans will enjoy lower calling rates,
In a statement on Wednesday, Chiloba said the move comes following the review of Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs) and Fixed Termination Rates (FTRs) by the authority.
“In the latest review, the authority has capped the MTRs and FTRs at Sh0.12 per minute with effect from January 1, 2022,” Chiloba said.
MTRs and FTRs are the costs that operators charge each other to allow customers to communicate across networks.
All telecommunication service providers are currently implementing MTRs and FTRs of Sh0.99.
He said the review was founded on the recognition that higher MTRs and FTRs mean higher calling rates for consumers, which makes it difficult for consumers to enjoy affordable calling services.
The revised interconnection rate is projected to have a positive outcome for both consumers and operators.
“At a retail level, consumers will now enjoy access to a variety of affordable services rates across networks and at the wholesale level, will have more price flexibility when developing innovative and affordable products.”
Chiloba added that the initiative is aligned with the Authority’s Vision of a Digitally Connected Nation as well as the National ICT Policy Guidelines 2020 broad goal of ensuring accessibility and affordability of ICTs by Kenyans.
The latest development is expected to reduce the need for consumers to own multiple SIM cards as charges across all networks come down.
