LIME's new TALK EZ Plan drops Cross Network Calling to JA$2.99 - Digicel's Game of Thrones vs LIME Return of the King

Folks, looks like I spoke to soon….again. Gotta stop doing that….

Straight to the point: Telecom Provider LIME has launched a new Calling Plan dubbed Talk EZ only dropped their Calling Rates for Voice Calling Services, they have slashed them as stated in the article “LIME Makes Massive Cuts To Rates”, published Thursday June 14, 2012 5:37 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner and “LIME announces $2.99 per minute rate”, published Thursday, June 14, 2012, The Jamaica Observer.

Folks, unapologetically, this is unprecedented as it is historic in the Telecoms Sector in Jamaica. This is the kind of news that makes you want to believe in Fairies and Dragons as being real, Game of Thrones (2011)Style. Worse yet, LIME Marketing Manager Grace Silvera, who’s magical touch is behind LIME’s rebranding thus far and Talk EZ may actually be a cross between the two mythical creatures!

By now folks in Jamaica may have been seeing the newspapers ads and the TV ads for the new coming rates for Telecom Provider LIME, condensed in my blog article entitled “GOJ taxes Telecom Providers and OUR sets Cross Network and International Calling Rate at JA$5.00 - Data Services Prometheus”.

If you’ve been reading my article above (and I know you are!!) you would have realized that the new rates been suggested by the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) since February 2012AD. Worse, these rates were much in dispute by Telecom Provider Digicel as stated in the article “LIME, Digicel at odds over OUR's proposed $5 termination rate”, published Sunday, February 19, 2012, The Jamaica Observer.

Then the OUR set an interim rate of JA$5.00 per minute for Cross Network Calling as stated in the article “OUR sets interim termination Call rates at $5”, published Tuesday June 5, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner. A move I argued along with the Telecoms Tax would boost the adoption of Postpaid, Mobile Internet and Fixed Line Landline and Mobile Services as stated in my blog article entitled “GOJ taxes Telecom Providers and OUR sets Cross Network and International Calling Rate at JA$5.00 - Data Services Prometheus”. 

Since then Telecom Provider Digicel has rolled out lower Calling Plans in an effort to stave off the oncoming onslaught, namely:

1.      The JA$8.99 Flat Rate Calling Plan for Prepaid as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled  “Digicel Introduces One Rate Calling for $8.99 in Jamaica”

2.      The Anywhere Calling Plan for Postpaid as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Digicel intros the Anywhere Plan for Postpaid” 

Hence Telecom Provider LIME’s silence on the issue of The Telecom Taxes despite protests from Telecom Provider Digicel. Clearly Telecom Provider Digicel was trying to boost its International Calling revenues by phasing out Gimme 5 and grandfather people across to an International Calling Plan as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to set up an International Calling Plan for Digicel or LIME Prepaid and Postpaid”.

Telecom Provider LIMEeven improved on Telecom Provider Digicel’s Gimme 5 with LIMEXL combine with a drop in 3G Data rates as of Tuesday May 1^st  2012AD as described in my blog article entitled “LIME launches XL Value Campaign and slashes 3G Mobile Prepaid Data come May 1 - Shadows of the Old Republic as LIME does Baby Cham's Wine”.

A Rebranding with a new tagline “Value Every Momemt” was also launched in May with a 60 second jingle sung by female breakthrough reggae artiste I-Eye, Local vocalist Joseph Roache from Perpetual Praise and C Sharp Band lead guitarist, ‘Monty’ Savory as stated in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME Jamaica Debuts Epic Brand Campaign”.

Then today Thursday June 14^th 2012AD, announcement of something special on the horizon by Telecom Provider LIME in The Jamaica Gleaneras stated in the article ” Lime To Cut Call Rates”, Published Thursday June 14, 2012 8:37 am, The Jamaica Gleaner, albeit this article was framed with loads of speculation pending an announcement at a Press Conference at 2 p.m. on Thursday June 14^th 2012AD.

The tension mounting, Telecom Provider LIME at their Press Conference made the announcement of the new Calling plan, dubbed Talk EZ….and you could almost hear a pin drop.

Sort of…..

Gary Sinclair, Managing Director for Telecom Provider LIME stated it thus, quote: “This is truly ground-breaking for the entire Telecoms Industry. It is also a seminal moment in our nation’s history with consumers as the biggest winners. LIME Jamaica is leading the charge in making Voice calls cost significantly less. TALK EZ’s one-rate charge means that a consumer can call a relative in Clarendon, Toronto or New York for the same unbelievably low rate of $2.99 per minute”.

The Rates, which according to the article “LIME Makes Massive Cuts To Rates”, published Thursday June 14, 2012 5:37 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner and “LIME announces $2.99 per minute rate”, published Thursday, June 14, 2012, The Jamaica Observerare to come into effect at 12:01am on Friday June 15^th 2012AD, are as thus:

1.      $1.99 per minute for postpaid mobile customers for on-net LIMECalls

2.      $2.99 for minute for prepaid to call LIME mobile and International numbers

3.      $6.99 per minute for Prepaid and Postpaid to call the other network numbers, inclusive of Telecom Provider Digicel and Landline

To activate the new Talk EZ plan at the appointed time is a simple matter of dialing the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) Code of *123*1#. By that token, I suspect like the JA$8.99 Flat Rate Calling Plan for Prepaid, customers will be given a choice to try out the service for thirty (30) days, with the use of a USSD code, possibly using *123*0# to deactivate the service.

This move is significant too, as the OUR rate of JA$5.00 is an interim rate that has not yet been ratified. Thus, Telecom Provider LIME is being very presumptuous and in effect is assuming that the price will decline further. It may also be a more made out of desperation, as Telecom Provider LIME needs to start making profit after its many investments.

Specifically their investments in the following infrastructure:

1.      DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld) Platform LIME TV as described in my blog article entitled “Broadcasters, LIME TV and IPTV - Kill and Kill Again and the London 2012 Olympics”

2.      IPTV based LIME TV as described in my blog article entitled “LIME launches IPTV Streaming Service LIME TV in Barbados on schedule - Lady Gaga's Bad Romance for Digital Cable and Free-to-Air Broadcasters”

3.      HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) Release 7 Network as state as described in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” slated for completion this December 2012AD 

Now that the Cat’s out of the Bag, what will the people of Jamaicans do come at 12:01am on Friday June 15^th 2012AD? Most likely those persons already holding on to a LIME handset will activate the service, as it’s clearly better. Those without a LIME handset may want to take advantage of the current ongoing London Olympics 2012AD sale offers at Telecom Provider LIME Stores, especially for the LIME TV now that the rates are lower than that of TelecomProvider Digicel.

LIME Talk EZ marks the revitalization of competition and a coming level playing field in a The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)of Telecoms!