RIYADH, 6 March — Saudi Telecom Company (STC) yesterday announced 14 to 20 percent cuts in mobile and land phone call tariffs and promised more reductions in telephone charges in the near future.
Khaled Al-Milhem, president of the company, said mobile phone call charges will be reduced by 16 percent from 95 to 80 halalas during off-peak hours.
The new cuts have also covered the Silver Bouquet and Golden Bouquet package offers, Milhem said, adding that charges of inter-city calls using land phones will be trimmed by 14 to 20 percent.
The company has also decided to slash the annual subscription charge of pager phones by 70 percent, from SR200 to SR60.
He said that Silver Bouquet cardholders will receive 80 minutes of free calls, instead of 70 minutes. They will also be eligible for a discounted rate of 70 halalas — down from 85 halalas — per minute during peak hours. The monthly subscription will remain at SR100.
Subscribers to Gold Bouquet will enjoy 280 minutes of free calls (instead of 250), as well as a discounted rate of 60 halalas (formerly 75 halalas) per minute during peak hours.
However, there will be no increase in the monthly subscription rate of SR200.
Referring to inter-city calls, Milhem said telephone charges to a distance ranging between 201 to 500 km will be reduced from 70 to 60 halalas per minute, a 14 percent cut.
Inter-city calls exceeding a distance of 500 km will cost 80 halalas per minute instead of SR1.
