For a long time now I’ve been working very hard on the Terminate the Rate Campaign which was launched in May 2009. Terminate the Rate is a group which has called on Ofcom to lower the Mobile Termination Rate (MTR). You may not know about it, but if you’ve ever used your mobile phone to call somebody who is on another network, then their network will charge your operator a fee for carrying the call. This fee, the Mobile Termination Rate, is normally around 4p for every minute of the call, and therefore adds up to billions of pounds for UK consumers.
In the last parliament 262 MPs signed an Early Day Motion supporting the campaign (making it the 7th most popular EDM overall), whilst over 135,000 members of the public have signed an online petition to lower MTRs to a penny or less.
The demand for lower MTRs has been clearly demonstrated. It is up to Ofcom to respond to that demand and lower MTRs now. Ofcom are currently consulting on the setting of MTRs for the next four years, and have recommended a dramatic reduction in rates by 2015 at the latest.
I have written to all MPs to ask them to join the campaign and I urge you to write to your local MP to ask them to do the same.
The campaign is rapidly gaining momentum and was featured in a full page editorial in yesterday's Guardian.
You can join the campaign by visiting www.terminatetherate.org
Did you know about MTRs? Do you think the current cost is acceptable?

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