3 loses call termination rate appeal

3 has lost its appeal against a cut in call termination rates imposed by Ofcom. The Competition Appeal Tribunal has agreed with Ofcom's decision that 3 UK has 'significant market power', ordering the network to cut its termination rates by 45% over the next three years. The other four major UK networks will be cutting their charges by between 10% and 20% to reach a similar level. Call termination rates are the wholesale prices paid by network operators for connecting calls from other networks. [Sources: PDF of judgement; Guardian.co.uk]