TAIPEI: The "National Communications Commission" (NCC) announced yesterday that Taiwan's mobile phone service rates will be cut by 5.87 percent from April 1, as it revealed that the island's rates are relatively high by world standards.

The plan will benefit 25 million mobile phone subscribers on the island, which has only 23 million people.

Its mobile phone charges as a percentage of per capita income ranks the 26th highest in the world, according to the NCC, which quoted statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

According to the ITU, Taiwan's mobile phone charges are nearly three times greater than Hong Kong's.

The rate cut will also apply to charges for domestic short message services, as well as communication charges between different mobile networks.

The charges for data transmission services through asymmetric digital subscriber lines (ADSL), long-distance calls (for non-pay phones) and the communication for network services will be cut by 5.686 percent, which will benefit 15.47 million users in Taiwan, the NCC said.

Every three years, the NCC reviews the adjustment coefficient ("X" value) for tariff rates of telecommunication enterprises.

It decided yesterday that the X value for the ADSL rates and mobile services rates, which will be implemented from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2013, will be 4.816 percent and 5 percent respectively.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/07/2010 page2)