ASEP proposes to abolish fees for LDN calls

The National Authority for Public Services (ASEP) will refer to a public discussion the proposal to cancel the fees for calls from National long distance (LDN) to strengthen telecommunications throughout the country.

Starting today Monday September 4, 2023 to October 31 this same year, comments will be received via e-mail address [email protected]

According to the entity, the proposal aims to change Resolution JD-3671 of December 26, 2002 which establishes Local valuation zoneswith a purpose
adopt the regulatory changes necessary to create a single local charging zone that allows calls between fixed lines within the country to be charged as a local rate, eliminating the concept National intercity.

The regulator discovered, according to data from the local industry, that fixed telephony has disappeared 205 million minutes released in 2005 71 million minutes leaving for 2022, reflecting a percentage decline of more than 60%, due to the growing penetration of mobile services.

The ASEP He points out that if this proposal to abolish additional fees for LDN is realized, in short, there will be a positive effect on residential users, since all calls to any destination within the country will be charged as local calls.

“The user will get better prices due to the dynamism of competition and will never again have to demand the collection of national long distance charges”, adds ASEP.

At the local industry level, this regulatory body is sure that the measure will provide additional benefits that will improve Local Basic Telecommunications Service (No. 101)the emergence of commercial models with a flat rate at the national level, will stimulate competition and generate more efficient operations in the business models of retailers.

It is worth mentioning that in Panama, the national long distance system is defined by the fact that the telecommunications user makes calls outside his own Area of ​​local services for which an additional fee is created in this concept.