Sotelco to stop accepting new ‘Boom’ tariff customers

Cambodian mobile operator Sotelco, which operates under the Beeline banner, has said it will stop accepting new users on a tariff that provoked price-dumping accusations by market leader Mobitel, writes local newspaper the Phnom Penh Post. According to Sotelco’s general director, Gael Campan, customers already signed up to the cellco’s USD0.05 per minute any-network ‘Boom’ tariff will be able to continue using the offer, but from Monday (31 August 2009) no new users would be accepted on the plan. Last week Sotelco, which is 90%-owned by Russian telecoms company Vimpelcom, entered into discussions with Mobitel, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) and Telecom Cambodia after Mobitel claimed Sotelco offered its users below cost price calls to rival networks, while the Russian-owned company accused the market leader of blocking its users’ calls. Sotelco launched commercial mobile services in Cambodia in May 2009 and claims to be the only company in the country to hold a wireless licence encompassing both the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands.