DIGICEL Fiji has released a new plan for pre-pay customers but is charging calls by the minute instead of its usual per second billing.
The new plan effective from yesterday can be accessed by buying a $20 recharge card and comes with a $100 credit for calls within the local Digicel network.
Off net or calls from a Digicel phone to another network costs 40 cents a minute.
Landline calls to Australia, New Zealand, the United States, United Kingdom, India, China and India including calls to Digicel mobile numbers in Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru are also 40 cents a minute.
Digicel Fiji chief executive officer John Delves explained the shift from per second to per minute billing as a move to simplify billing as it was now a flat rate for all calls.
The $100 credit however expires within a month.
For those who choose not to be part of the new plan, they can still enjoy per second billing.
This move comes as competition in the telecommunication market heats up with Telecom Fiji Limited expected to improve their presence in the mobile telephony sector.
"This plan will allow family members to stay in contact with their loved ones," Mr Delves said.
He was also confident the company's network would be able to withstand the call traffic.
"I think we proved that during the tsunami alert when we withstood the congestion," he said.
Yesterday, the company reported that the new plan had smashed all previous take up rates for Digicel mobile phone plans.
"It's clear we've reached a value driven section of the Fijian community with 'Get Free with Digicel' that want the best mobile phone service on Fiji's biggest network at the best possible price," Mr Delves said."Digicel is continually looking at ways to maintain its innovative edge and bring fresh ideas to the Fiji market.
"The 'Get Free with Digicel' plan is testament to that. The Fiji telecommunications market has never before seen something of this magnitude offering customers an all-inclusive plan with such an outstanding value for money offer.
Mr Delves said the company was happy to improve communications and the opportunity to provide better for consumers.
"We don't focus on the competition but rather on the customers and what they want," he said.
The company said it had been able to improve its post-pay customer base that had been greatly enhanced by the relocation of the business centre to Kadavu House in Suva's main central business district.
