Plea for cheaper phone calls within SAARC

by Indunil THENUWARA

It is ironic that telecommunication rates within the SAARC region are higher than the rates for countries outside the region.

Intra-regional fixed or mobile calls should be cheaper than calls made outside the region, said Prof Rohan Samarajiwa, Chairman and CEO of LIRNEasia, a Sri Lanka-based information and communication technology policy and regulation think tank which is active across South and South East Asia.

"This stands for roaming charges too. Roaming is currently a complex process involving making a local call in the roamed-in country, calling home from the roamed in country, receiving a call while roaming and sending an SMS in the roamed in country," Prof Samarajiwa told a panel discussion at a Journalism Workshop on Regional Cooperation in South Asia held in Kathmandu, Nepal with the participation of journalists from SAARC nations.

Roaming charges within the South Asian region for citizens of SAARC countries should be lower than when roaming outside the region and the policies should also be simpler and more transparent, he said.

"Although roaming may affect less people, the ones who are affected are those that knit the region together," he said.

Prof. Samarajiwa said there have, in fact, been reductions in telecom charges, both fixed and mobile, in the SAARC region since the 15th SAARC Summit was held in Colombo in August 2008.

The Declaration adopted at this summit stated: "The Heads of State or Government observed that an effective and economical regional telecommunication regime is an essential factor of connectivity, encouraging the growth of people-centric partnerships.

"They stressed the need for the Member States to endeavour to move towards a uniformly applicable low tariff, for international direct dial calls within the region."

Most SAARC countries including Sri Lanka have reduced their calling charges within the region since this Summit.

However, it has become costlier to call the Maldives from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal over this period.

With regard to roaming charges, he cited the European Union as an example.He said the charges for a person from the EU is the same regardless of where he travels within the regional bloc.