Harb Announces Reduction in Landline, Mobile Phone Tariffs Starting Tuesday
Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb announced on Monday that the tariffs for landlines and mobile phones will be reduced starting April 1, “in order to better serve the people and their interests, especially those with limited income.”
He said during a press conference that the reduction will range between 30 and 50 percent of the current prices.
The cost of phones in Lebanon has become very high compared to global tariffs, which has forced some sides to resort to services that compete with the official telecommunications network, he remarked.
This has consequently harmed the sector and, as a result, the state treasury, Harb continued.
The minister therefore said that he took the decision to lower tariffs, which will see the reduction of pre-paid card prices and landline phone calls by 50 percent.
The cost of a mobile phone call will be reduced by 30 percent, whereby the cost of a single minute on a landline will be lowered to LL50 from LL100 and the cost of a minute on a mobile phone line will be lowered to LL200 from LL300.
The cost of an international phone call, either from a landline or mobile phone, from Lebanon will be reduced by 50 percent.
The cost of an international telephone call made between 7 am and 10 pm will now cost LL300 instead of LL600.
An international telephone call made between 10 pm and 7 am will now cost LL200 instead of LL400.
The new tariffs can now be compared to those of regional and European countries, said Harb.
-M.T.
-H.K.
10 years
so spiteful. Sahnaoui was the best thing for telecom since 20 years. Harb might be better. Why turn it into a poking stick? Cause youre spiteful and hateful too. Whatever, live in your delusional reality which stitched together all the bad of one side with all the good of the other, ignoring the good and bad of both.
10 years
Sehnaoui, like his predecessor think of Telecom as the main revenue source for the state. As such, they don't understand the first thing about telecom.
Telecom is one of the main pillars of modern economies and the state's revenues should be based on taxes.
Good and cheap telecom can only drive the economy upwards increasing state revenues.
Harb understands this very well with his ambition to privatise and liberalise this market and drive prices down.
Previous ministers don't understand the first thing about this and their achievements are non-sense media attention grabbing headlines which have failed to materialise in economic growth for the country or reliable service !
10 years
Let sehanaoui and his predecessor answer about the millions of dollars missing from the telecom ministry. if you have not heard about it yet, brace yourself, you will here about it very soon :)
Harb is doing what should have been done long time back.
now comes the turn of internet access, i.e. increase bandwidth through fiber to the home and not fiber to the curve, and reduction of costs.
this will boost our economy ten folds.
10 years
@pajama.boy, can you please explain "all of our phones are now tracked when travellers arrive to Lebanon, and if they're not registered, after a few days they get blocked"? I live in the USA and I have my Alfa (Cellis) pre-paid line with me (roaming) so family can call me anytime. I have not returned to Leb since July 2011. What do you mean I have to register if I return? Please I really need to understand.
10 years
@terrorist, thank you for the explanation. I really didn't know. I also don't remember which handset I used when I was there last. All I can say is that the SIM card is in my Nokia Mini N97 now, it is on and receiving calls in the USA. If I ever return and it stops working then I will know why. Again thank you.
10 years
@FT, I thought all phones are tracked and the data stored and not viewed or shared without a warrant resulting from of an investigation. Either way...it is being done in the USA too, so whatever, let them track lil ol insignificant me from now till the cows come home.
10 years
Yaaaaa Bani Maarouf, STOP calling people by names. Sempre has a right to his views, but you ya lack of intelligence still believe that people do the things you do, post using multiple accounts. You are so typical, like like your Walid Jumblat. But I guess you are like the thief who believes that everyone is a thief.
10 years
50 percent my god! Too good to be true. Is it just a cruel joke for april 1?
Whoever decreases the cost of living has my vote. Good going ma 3alil wazir :p Maybe too optimistic to reduce by 50%? Hopefully not, lol. The lebanese public awaits april 1 impatiently.
10 years
Excellent work
10 years
Whose still using Phones, everything is about VOIP now, better to decrease band weight costs instead of per min cost of obsolete technologies!
10 years
FA, you do have a point there, but on a different note, the Arican countries I have visited during this trip have proven that when costs are down coupled with relaible services, most people tend to use the more conventional means of communications than the ones VOIP based ones. Fact is very few use apps such as Whatsapp, Viber or the like. Most express surprise when we Lebanese tell them that we use such, or even when we make missed calls. Though apps such as Whatsapp offer great options, but on a regular daily use, most people are happy to live without them. Just my view of a world rather unlike ours.
10 years
FA.
I have extensive experience in Telecom, and let me tell you the problem we have with bandwidth and their cost is mainly related to the fact we do not have fiber to the home.
it is only with fiber to the home that we could have bandwidth of 100MB at the price we are paying for our current connections.
the previous ministry did extremely wrong in expanding the copper network, which costs nearly the same as FTTH these days. which goes to show how stupid were the ministers and their consultants.
10 years
@geha, bringing fiber to each and every single home in Lebanon is a pricey and nonviable solution. You can bring fiber to the nearest point of presence (POP) for a cluster of buildings residential or commerical and then coaxial to the end point. If coaxial is not a standard in Lebanon, then you have no choice but to leverage existing copper. Verizon did FiOS in limited markets in the USA and while it is lighting fast it is cost prohibitive.
10 years
@Bandoul
I understand your comment based on the US where they have extremely remote locations where it is not viable to even lay down the cables :)
our problem is that the previous 2 ministers chose to extend the copper network (which costs nearly the same as fiber) to the curve where they are attached to DSLAMs and we receive our connections from the DSLAMS over copper.
distances in Lebanon are not a problem, and the infrastructure is there, thus it is just a matter of putting Fiber instead of copper, and voila.
10 years
Yes indeed. All civilized countries have liberalized telecommunication as a way to boost the economy. Bassil then Nicolas not only prevented the liberalization of telecom, but kept prices sky high and prevented the ART from doing it's job as an independent regulatory body.
10 years
GP, spot on bro, telecoms is a technology with a comparatively short shelf-life, so to extract the most out of it before the current one gets obsolete, is to cut tariffs way down. In this way it becomes a win-win situation where people will use a lot more the technology, the state gets a lot more return, and ultimately when newer techonolgies emerge, the state is better poised to introduce them and use them on a real-time basis. What the honorable minister has done just proves that when the will exists, things can be done, and yes, you're right, this will end the praise singing no matter whom it does concern.
10 years
one step at a time french eagle
10 years
FT : Hezbollah tried to kill him in plain site. Yet you defend and protect his assassins !
10 years
The best thing to happen in Lebanon for ages. No amoun of words can rule the absolute importance of telecommunications, the reduction in costs is absolutely worthy of praise. Not only it will greatly improve life all round, bot the state will begin to see a lot more income to its coffers than at anytime hitherto. Cheaper is always better. Good move honorable minister.
10 years
Correct Gabby. He may not be charismatic, doesn't smile much, but Harb definitely has a no-nonsense approach to work. It now shows.
10 years
A step in the right direction! It's a disgrace how much the Lebanese are forced to pay for communication services, especially taking into account the average earning power of our citizens.
Hopefully the next telecom minister (whoever it is) won't reverse this decision. 3a2bel el internet!
10 years
The Arabic press release indicates a reduction for pre-paid card costs, not post-paid landlines.
10 years
I think that the cost of 1 min on landphone is already 50 LL and from mobile to landphone and vice versa is 200 LL. Check the back of your landphone bills and you will notice it. The true reduction touches so just the international calls.
Best thing to happen to telecom in Lebanon since the removal of Bassil and Sehnaoui !