TSTT to Introduce Flat Rate
In all my years of existence, I cannot for the life of me remember TSTT – the evil empire – ever adjusting their landline rates. I’ll be the first to admit, however, that I could be wrong. So someone who has some time on their hands please visit your granny and dig up a TSTT Directory from about circa 1992, open it and check the rates. Then open the current directory and compare rates. I am pretty sure they will be about the same. This makes me wonder why after all this time has TSTT decided to introduce a flat rate for all customers instead of the “complex rate structure” we all now enjoy. TSTT rates ranges from 23¢ for an unlimited amount of time (for a call made within the same exchange) to about 69¢ per minute. Let me just state categorically that I’ve never believed that TSTT ever charged anyone 23¢ for an unlimited call. I’ve seen how my phone bill was affected by calls made within my own exchange and I think that’s a load of crap. But anyway, why now?
A study done my the Telecomunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has determined that only people calling outside of their exchanges stand to benefit from the rate change as those who previously called within their own exchanges will see a 300% increase in the price of a 3-minute call. So whether or not the move by TSTT is motivated by their desire to saddle us with a bigger phone bill is unknown.
However, could it be that the reason for the rate change is that cable operator Flow is planning to roll out a new landline service soon? Is it that TSTT is shaking in its boots since they stand to lose the customers they’ve monopolized for donkey years now (I might add – the same way evils spawn bmobile dropped their rates before Digicel entered the scene)? Now that makes a lot of sense.
P.S. has anyone else realized that TSTT’s logo shares the same colours as TT $100 and $20 bills?
4 Responses to “TSTT to Introduce Flat Rate”
By Jill on Aug 8, 2007 | Reply
mani,
loved the article. sad to see tstt jacking up prices, 23c a minute is just ridiculous (sp?) for a country that dreams it is first world, and not third… i would understand if that was for cellphones, and that was after going over your minutes. but on a land line, it’s just cruel.
By Kayode on Aug 8, 2007 | Reply
I love to see these big companies quake and go price-crazy when competition hits.
Remember when Green Dot was rolling out a DSL plan with twice as much speed as TSTT for the same cost? That same weekend TSTT’s DSL suddenly doubled.
I waiting for them to double or triple their bandwidth again any day now…
By Mani on Aug 9, 2007 | Reply
Hi Jill, thanks, yes it is. Well TATT won’t allow them to aright now anyway, so we’ll see if they actually get a chance to it.
Kayode, I didn’t realize that TSTT did that but that’s funny. Wait till FLOW’s and Green Dot’s internet start to catch on and we’ll have to sit back and watch TSTT squirm.
By D Trini in Me on Aug 14, 2007 | Reply
competition is a hell of a thing!