February 15, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN – In the largest price reductions ever, telephone charges to the United States will be reduced by up to 40 percent from June 15, making it cheaper for transAtlantic business calls and for families to stay in touch with emigrant relatives.
The cuts, which will cost Telecom Eireann _130 million a year, come within days of the announcement that the telephone monopoly is to be removed over a year in advance of an European Union derogation.
Later this year, the company also plans to reduce the price of Irish local calls and trunk calls within the country.
Calls to the U.S. and Canada during the day (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) will be reduced from 36p per minute to 29p. Evening calls (6 p.m. to 8 a.m.) are being cut from 34p to 23p.
A new weekend rate (midnight Friday to midnight Sunday) of 19p per minute is being introduced.
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Just four years ago, a daytime call to the U.S. was _1.12 per minute.
The daytime cost of accessing the Internet via a special number is also being reduced by 30 percent.