If evidence were needed that mobile telephony was placing pressure on the fixed line providers, news that TeliaSonera Sweden’s fixed line division is introducing mobile-like call bundles may be it.
The carrier is scrapping per-minute fixed line pricing to introduce a flat fee bundle instead. Customers will be able to pay SEK65 per month in exchange for making calls round the clock. The new offering, called Telia Alltid, applies not only when calling other Telia customers, but also includes calls to those with other operators.
Subscribers to Telia Alltid will also see the per-minute charge lowered for fixed to mobile calls by up to 26%, and up to 20% for overseas calls compared with Telia´s basic price list.
Telia Alltid is a development of Telia Fritid [Telia Freetime], launched in January 2004.
TeliaSonera said that research shows that users still prefer to use landlines when the are making long calls, and to stay in touch with friends of family they rarely see.