VOIP Decreases the Price of International Calls
Reality Macedonia : VOIP in Macedonia: Intenet will Decrease the Price of International Calls
VoIP is bringing affordable international calling to the world. A call to Macedonia for Vonage customers costs $0.20 per minute. A friend recently called his brother in Venezuela on my Vonage line for $0.08 per minute!
VoIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol), i.e. offer of inexpensive international telephone calls will be legalised with the new Law of Telecommunications. Such services were secretly offered in Macedonia since there has not been a legal regulation for the services, and AD Makedonski Telekomunikacii reacted that it will violate its monopoly rights. Officials at the Ministry of Telecommunications said that after passing of the new regulations next year in January, new regulatory body for awarding authorisation for VoIP operators should be created first.
However, VoIP services were illegally offered to Macedonian citizens in Internet clubs, and by offering vouchers for conversations, and it is known that in the AD Makedonski Telekomunikacii’s telephone boots devices for VoIP were installed without permission of Telecom.
Price discrepancy in international calls comparing calls via fixed telecommunication operator and VoIP operators in some countries is enormous. For example, in Bulgaria call duration of 10 minutes to England via fixed telephone network costs 2.96 euros (180 denars), and it is three times cheaper via VoIP, 1.07 euros (62 denars). Price discrepancy is more striking if we compare call duration of 10 minutes to USA. Price via fixed telephone network is 4.31 euros (300 denars) and 1.02 euros via VoIP. In other countries, market competition contributed to bridging the price gap between fixed telephone network and VoIP providers. Call of 10 minutes from Slovenia to England via fixed telephone network costs 1.80 euros (110 denars), and via VoIP costs 1.03 euros (62 denars). The bridging of the price gap between fixed telephone network and VoIP providers is most noticeable in Czech Republic where the prices for call of 10 minutes are equal, 2.85 euros (170 denars).Get the full story here. --------
