Jersey regulator wants mobile call cuts

The cost of calling people who are on a different mobile phone network in Jersey could go down, according to the competition watchdog.

The Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority (JCRA) said the rate companies charge each other for calls is among the highest in Europe.

JT Global, Sure and Airtel-Vodaphone charge each other 5.6p per minute for users to connect from other mobiles.

The JCRA wants this to go down to 4.11p per minute in line with Guernsey.

This would be a flat rate regardless of the time or day and calls would be charged for every second the caller is on the phone.

The new rate would be in place by 31 March 2012.

JCRA director John Curran said the costs in Jersey were too high and he expected that this proposed reduction in charges would be passed on to the mobile user.

The changes still need to be agreed by the operators and they have until 13 February to respond to the proposals.