Mobitel files lawsuit against Beeline over Boom tariff dispute

Cambodian mobile operator Mobitel has filed a lawsuit against rival Sotelco, which operates under the Beeline brand, for alleged ‘dishonest competition’ and for using the market leader’s prefixes without permission, reports the Phnom Penh Post, citing a deputy prosecutor. Sok Roeun said the case was filed with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in early August before the 14th of that month, the last time both companies are known to have met with officials from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) in a bid to resolve the dispute. Mobitel has reportedly selected a lawyer and submitted its evidence to the court. Mobitel’s accusations relate to what it has termed unfair competition from Russian-owned Beeline’s controversial Boom tariff, which offers users cross-network calls at USD0.05 per minute. In response, Mobitel supposedly deliberately blocked interconnectivity, while Beeline is accused of using Mobitel’s five prefixes – 012, 017, 092, 089, 077 – without permission in a bid to bypass the block.