UCC to set uniform interconnection rates (Uganda)

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The mobile subscribers in Uganda are likely to pay lowered cross-network rates, from Sept’09, as UCC will soon set interconnection rate. According to UCC Executive Director Patrick Masambu, the regulator wants to simplify interconnection for new players in the market.
Earlier the incumbents had to negotiate the interconnection rates themselves, calling for higher rates. The interconnection rates at present range from UGX 100 to UGX 200/min, while end-users pay UGX 290 to UGX 320 for cross-network calls.
Masambu said the UCC will enforce a uniform charge in September after consulting Uganda’s nine licensed telecommunication operators and other stakeholders on the fee.
Later these changes will call for a six-month study on interconnection and retail costs and pricing in the country, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The findings will be taken into consideration for creating a framework for interconnection, competition and tariff regulation in the current licensing framework.