Cellular operators in Lebanon charge the highest prepaid average minute rates in the region, while those in Morocco charge the highest postpaid rates, says a study.

According to the report from Arab Advisors Group (AAG), which has analysed the cellular tariffs for 46 cellular operators in 19 Arab countries, Egypt and Yemen have the region’s lowest average prepaid minute rate and average postpaid minute rate respectively.

The AAG has analysed the cellular rates in the following nineteen Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen.

In order to allow for comparisons, the report focuses on the average cellular rates of these countries’ 46 operational cellular providers. In calculating the average cellular rates, the Arab Advisors Group relied on the simple average for all relevant packages and offers in each market.

The average peak and off peak minute rates in the report include the tariffs for on-net and off-net traffic. The report also covers the airtime billing methods that the cellular operators use.

'Increased competition in Arab cellular markets is driving operators into adopting billing per second or fractions of a minute,” said Faten Bader, Arab Advisors Group senior research analyst.

“As of October/November 2008, an array of 13 different billing methods were in use by 46 cellular operators in the 19 covered Arab countries. 14 operators still use the traditional (and most profitable) per minute billing,” she added.

“Although the majority of operators have abandoned this method, it is still the most common billing method utilised, as it is utilised in 39 per cent of postpaid billing methods and 37 per cent of prepaid billing methods. Per second billing, which offers the best value for end users, is the basis for a total of eight operators in the Arab World.' – TradeArabia News Service