India to Nepal call rates high as Nepal Telecom hiked termination rate: BSNL

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State-run telecom firm BSNL today said that phone calls made from India to Nepal have become expensive due to high termination rates levied by Nepal Telecom.

"Nepal Telecom has increased the termination charges from Rs 3.15 per minute to Rs 7.80 per minute with effect from December 1, 2017. This increase in termination charges by Nepal Telecom resulted in increase of the call rate from India to Nepal (from Rs 6 per minute to Rs. 12 per minute) with effect from December 12, 2017," BSNL said in a statement.

Telecom firms levy termination charge on operators from whose networks calls have been generated, for transmitting them to the subscriber.

The state-run firm said that during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal, an announcement was made that call rates to Nepal would be reduced in near future.

"In this regard Indian Government took an action and reduced its termination charges from Rs 0.67 to Rs.0.35 per minute. This resulted in cheaper call rates from Nepal to India," BSNL said.

It added that because of skewed termination charges of Rs 7.8 per minute of Nepal Telecom against 35 paise charged by Indian telecom operators, most of the calls originating from Nepal to India are cheaper.

"If Nepal also brings down the termination charges in line then it would benefit consumers calling from India to Nepal," BSNL said.