Decision No. 56/2003/QD-BBCVT dated March 20, 2003 of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications governing the issuance of the tariff table of internet access service via the public switched telephone network (PSTN)

DECISION

GOVERNING THE ISSUANCE OF THE TARIFF TABLE OF INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE VIA THE PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK (PSTN)

MINISTER OF POSTS AND TELEMATICS

Pursuant to Decree 90/2002 dated November 11, 2002 of the Government regulating the functions, duties, range of competence and organizational structure of the Ministry of Posts and Telematics;

Pursuant to Decree 55/2001/ND-CP dated August 23, 2001 of the Government on the management, provision and use of Internet services;

Pursuant to Decision 99/1998/QD-TTg dated May 26, 1998 of the Prime Minister on the management of posts and telecoms tariffs and charges;

Pursuant to Circular 03/1999/TT-TCBD dated May 11, 1999 of the Department General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGPT) providing guidance to the implementation of Decree 109/1997/ND-CP dated November 12, 1997 of the Government concerning the Posts and Telecoms sector, and Decision 99/1998/QD-TTg dated May 26, 1998 of the Prime Minister governing the management of posts and telecoms;

Pursuant to Circular 04/2001/TT-TCBD dated November 20, 2001 of the former Secretary General of DGPT guiding the implementation of Decree 55/2001/ND-CP dated August 23, 2001 of the Government on the management, provision and use of the Internet exchange service, Internet access and application services in the posts and telecoms field;

At the proposal of the Director of the Planning and Finance Department,

HEREBY DECIDES:

Article 1: The charges of the Internet access service via PSTN are regulated as follows:

1. The maximum Internet and e-mail box subscription charge is VND27,273/subscriber/month 

2. Internet access service charge frame via PSTN (applied to all users and billing and collection method s)

- Maximum charge level: VND180/minute

- Minimum charge level: VND40/minute

3. Based on the maximum charge level and charge frame regulated in items 1 and 2 above, Internet access providers (IAPs) are allowed to regulate the subscription charge level and Internet access charge via PSTN.

4. The installation fee (Collect one-off): IAPs will regulate by themselves

5. The local and inner-provincial long-distance charge for Internet access via PSTN:  

- The local communications charge for Internet access is VND40/minute. The local communications scale is regulated in Decision 809/2000/QD-TCBD dated September 15, 2000 of the former Department General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGPT) governing the promulgation of the fixed telephone subscription and local communications charges at subscriber's premise.                      

- At centrally-run provinces and cities where have been opened access POP by ISPs with access network capacity to subscribers within provinces, the inner-provincial long-distance communications charge applied to subscribers accessing the Internet of these ISPs is VND40/minute.

6. These charges have not included value-added tax. (VAT).

Article 2: This decision takes effect from April 1, 2003 and replaces Decision 480/2002/QD-TCBD dated June 13, 2002 of the Department General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGPT) governing the issuance of indirect Internet access tariff table via PSTN. All previous regulations that are contrary to this decision are annulled.

Article 3: Chiefs of administrative bureaus, Director of the Planning and Finance Department, directors of units under MPT, directors general, directors of enterprises providing telecoms services, IXPs and directors of related units are due to implement this decision.