Regulator enforces per-minute billing regime

Colombia’s public services regulator, the SSPD, has begun investigating fixed line operators that have allegedly failed to adopt per-minute billing. Telebucaramanga, ERT and Colombia Telecom are all reported by BNamericas as being under investigation for violating the new rate scheme which came into effect on 1 January 2006. The three companies allegedly maintained the previous practice of charging in three-minute pulses. The regulator has already levied a COP114 million (USD49,000) fine on Manizales-based operator Emtelsa for non-compliance with the tariff scheme and may issue similar fines on the other operators. State-run telco ETB also failed to adjust its rates by the start of the year, but has since signed an agreement to change its rate scheme by December 2006, thereby avoiding a fine.