Vodafone Malta announced yesterday that it has slashed its roaming rates for EU countries to 30 cents per minute for pre-paid and 28 cents for post-paid customers.

Compared to Summer 2005, this translates into a 40 per cent average cut, and a 20 per cent average cut compared to 2006, explained Vodafone Malta CEO Hatem Dowidar.

This move, said Mr Dowidar, was possible due to the launch of its new Vodafone World rate plan. The plan is available for both pre-paid and post-paid customers and has no peak and off-peak rates. The reductions on roaming calls apply to both Vodafone preferred and non-preferred networks within the EU27 footprint. Customers choosing the Vodafone preferred networks will benefit from even further reductions.

Mr Dowidar explained that with Vodafone World, making calls abroad is now simpler than ever and the rates are much easier to understand. For example, a call when roaming in the UK, had over 100 price points and today a customer need only remember four price points at any time of the day. Moreover, customers can save more money if they make calls from one of the 47 Vodafone partner networks.

Vodafone has also introduced the Infotext service whereby customers can check roaming call rates by sending an SMS containing the words FROM + the name of the country to be visited to 5091-5791 prior to their departure from Malta. This service will be free of charge locally and will be charged at the standard applicable SMS rates while roaming. Customers will receive an SMS with rates for outgoing and incoming calls on preferred and other networks, where applicable. Pre-paid customers will also receive the cost per SMS.

In order to simplify the pricing structure, countries have been grouped into five instead of nine zones, with Zone 1 referring to all the EU countries.

A list of all the zones and applicable tariffs, including Vodafone’s preferred networks, is available on Vodafone’s website at www.vodafone.com.mt

Asked whether there were any plans to reduce tariffs for Maltese customers calling a Vodafone number outside the country, he explained: “No, that is one of the drawbacks of number portability. In permitting this service, we cannot tell if the call is placed to a Vodafone number abroad,” he said. When Mr Dowidar was asked if he truly believed that these prices were cheap, he replied: “A call from a phone box would definitely cost you 30 cents per minute or more.”

For more information, customers may contact Vodafone Customer Service on 247 from their Vodafone or on 9999-9247 from any other line. Alternatively, they can visit www.vodafone.com.mt for more details.