Phone operators urged to reduce trunk call cost

Speaking at the 10th SADC Telecommunications Operators Bilateral Meeting (STOBM) in Gaborone yesterday, newly appointed Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications Mabua Mabua said scrapping of these charges will benefit not only the operators through higher revenues from increased traffic flows but the consumers as well through lower tariffs.

Mabua who was the guest of honour at the meeting hosted by Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) under the auspices of Southern Africa Telecommunication Association (SATA), said a large component of the trans-border calls costs is mainly in the form of roaming or terminations charges, which have no bearing on the actual true costs of the calls.