C&W IDC Raps Planned Hike

Source: Jiji Press English News Service

Cable and Wireless IDC Inc. Monday expressed opposition to the Japanese telecom ministry’s plan to raise interconnection charges levied on telecom carriers for using the regional networks of Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. .

“Increases in interconnection charges will lead to the increases” in retail charges by NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp., and all other carriers, the Japanese unit of British telecommunications operator Cable and Wireless PLC said in a statement.

“At a time when the real income of the Japanese people is falling, increases in interconnection charges will severely impair consumer benefit,” it said.

The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications on Friday referred to an advisory panel a plan to raise the interconnection charges that carriers pay to NTT East and NTT West, NTT’s two regional fixed-line units, by just short of 5 pct on average in fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004.

C&W IDC condemned the proposal as biased in favor of NTT and unfair as a government policy.

The NTT group’s interconnection charges should be lowered as they are relatively high in light of international standards, it said.

Other Japanese carriers, such as KDDI Corp. and Japan Telecom Holdings Co. , have also voiced their opposition to the government’s proposal.

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