GT&T gears to introduce pre-paid landline service

May 22, 2008 News

…applies to PUC

One of the country’s main telephone services, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd (GT&T), has signaled its intentions to introduce a system that will allow both of its mobile and land line users to access credit from one pre-paid card.

According to an advertisement by the regulatory body, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), GT&T has applied for the new service and a public hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday at the Supreme Court Library Boardroom, Charlotte Street, at 13:30 hrs.

According to the PUC, GT&T made the application on May 14 for a new service and tariff for a pre-paid wire-line service.

“The new service (NEXUS) is intended to allow GT&T wire line customers to access a prepaid wire line service, and to facilitate prepaid credits from a single prepaid account in such a way that these credits can be utilized for both wire line and mobile calls,” the ad said.

The new service, if approved, will be available to both residential and business, and new and existing (post paid) customers.

Customers who access this service will pay the current commission- approved intra and inter-exchange, international and fixed to mobile rates.

GT&T is proposing to levy a surcharge equivalent to 15 per cent of the calling rates on all calls from prepaid wire line phones.

According to the PUC, GT&T is hoping that the rates paid by the prepaid mobile phones that uses credit from the prepaid wire line account will be at the normal mobile prepaid airtime rates.
“VAT will be added to all commission-approved rates and charges. The 15 per cent is intended to defray the US$0.05 per transaction that GT&T pays to EMIDA (owner of the proprietary C-point technology) and the average seven percent commission paid to pre-paid top-up vendors. GT&T also proposes a $200 service activation charge,” the advertisement stated.