Kenyans to Enjoy Lower Call Rates From Next Year, CA Boss Ezra Chiloba Announces

Kenyan will enjoy lower call rates across all networks following the review of mobile termination rates (MTRs) and Fixed Termination Rates (FTRs).

In a press statement issued on Wednesday 22nd December, the regulator’s Director-General Ezra Chiloba said that the new directive takes effect from January 2022.

“In the latest review, the Authority has capped the MTRs and FTRs at Ksh0.12 per minute with effect from January 1, 2022,” he said.

MTRs and FTRs are charges that operators charge each other to allow customers to communicate across networks. The telecommunication service providers are currently implementing MTRs and FTRs of Ksh0.99.

According to Chiloba, the move to lower the rates was prompted by the desire to make telecommunication services affordable to all Kenyans.

“The reviewed interconnection rate is projected to have a positive outcome to both the consumers and operators. At the retail level, consumers will now afford a variety of affordable services across networks,” said Chiloba.

“At the wholesale level, operators will have more price flexibility when developing innovative and affordable products.”

The latest development will also reduce the need for consumers to own multiple SIM cards as charges across networks come down.

This is not the first time the Authority is lowering the MTRs and FTRs. They were reviewed in 2007 and then in 2010.