Iran Mobile Operator Reducing Call Cost

RighTel, the third biggest mobile operator, is working hard to catch up with its main rivals, MTN-Irancell and Mobile Communication Company of Iran (MCI), in the Mobile Number Portability race, which has recently heated up.  

 MNP allows subscribers to switch over to another operator while keeping their existing mobile phone number.

Rightel says holders of contract Rightel SIM cards and those moving to Rightel services through MNP will pay 299-rial ($0.008) cost per minute for all calls, including in-network and out-of-network, as well as those to landlines, local technology website CITNA reported.

This is while MTN-Irancell announced a similar plan, however, with higher calling rates to calls within its network and on other mobile operators.

According to MTN-Irancell, all calls, including in-network and out-of-network, as well as those to landlines, will be priced at 669 rials ($0.02) per minute. This is while the normal rates for MTN-Irancell subscribers are more expensive, with in-network, out-of-network and landline calls costing 669 rials ($0.017), 929 rials ($0.025) and 799 rials ($0.21), respectively.

The race is heating up between mobile operators as they try to attract more users into their servers by reducing the cost of phone calls.

The MNP scheme was launched nationwide about two years ago.

According to data from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), the IT industry ombudsman, RighTel is is second in the race while MCI leads the pack. The partly-South Africa-owned MTN-Irancell is fast losing ground to MCI and is also lagging behind Rightel.

Besides reduced call costs, the operators are offering other incentives like giving free Internet data packages to contract and pay-as-you-go SIM cards.