MOBILE ROAMING RATES BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE EXPECTED TO BE REDUCED

From Hafizah Kamaruddin

SINGAPORE, June 15 (Bernama) -- The mobile roaming rates offered by
operators in Malaysia and Singapore for services between the two countries are
expected to be lowered by 30 per cent for voice calls and 50 per cent for short
message service (SMS) in the move to enhance closer relations.

Malaysia's Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim and
Singapore's Acting Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew
jointly announced today that both countries were waiting for feedback from their
telecommunication operators on the proposal.

They said the proposal had been tabled to the operators by the regulatory
bodies of both countries, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
(MCMC) and Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA).

The announcement was made after Rais and Lui held a bilateral meeting on the
sidelines of the four-day Infocomm Media Busines Exchange (imbX), which includes
CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia 2010, a business event for the global information
and communications technology, broadcasting and media industries which opened
today at the Singapore Expo.

Lui said the operators were expected to make a decision by the third quarter
of this year for the new charges to be implemented.

Currently, one has to pay about RM1.17 (US$.35) for an SMS and RM2.21
(US$0.66) for a one-minute call between the two countries.

A joint press statement issued by MCMC and IDA said the proposal will be
implemented through reduction of both the wholesale inter-operator charges and
the retail end-user charges, and it will be contingent on both countries to
follow through the agreement.

Further details will be available after MCMC and IDA have completed
discussions with their respective operators and they are expected to provide an
update on this proposal in the third quarter of this year.

The two regulatory bodies said they had been studying the rates charged by
mobile operators of both countries to better understand the prevailing industry
practice and charging model.

"As mobile roaming charges involve different price components charged by
operators from both countries, any study of any regulatory requirement to
reduce roaming charges will require coordination and cooperation between both
regulators to ensure that users from both countries benefit from the decision,"
they said.

Speaking to Malaysia reporters later, Rais said although telecommunication
operators of both countries will experience a loss in revenue with the reduction
in charges, the move will promote more communication between the people and
still benefit the operators.

"There will be more communication, and the companies will still make money
from the services rendered," he said.

"It will also enhance relationships between the people from both countries,
and a catalyst for growth since it encourages more business opportunities due to
cheaper communication charges," he added.

Rais later left for home after arriving here Monday to attend to the
various activities held in conjunction with imbX.
-- BERNAMA