CTIA is taking issue with an OECD report released yesterday that says Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden have the lowest prices for mobile phone calls among OECD countries.
The OECD report says the highest prices were found in Canada, Spain and the United States.
CTIA says the report really shows that some international comparisons just don’t add up, especially when built on flawed assumptions. U.S. consumers enjoy the lowest per-minute rates of all the OECD countries, the association says.
According to CTIA, the real story is buried on page 275 of the OECD report, which addresses calling patterns. The OECD defines a “medium use” customer as someone making 780 minutes of calls a year and sending 600 SMS and eight MMS messages a year. CTIA’s semi-annual survey shows the average wireless consumer uses around 760 minutes a month and more than 400 text messages a month. CTIA’s survey showed the average U.S. monthly consumer bill is $50.07.
CTIA also points out that since its last survey, a number of U.S. companies have launched unlimited plans, like Tracfone’s Straight Talk for $45 a month and Boost Mobile’s all-inclusive $50 a month package.
It’s especially important for CTIA to set the record straight as U.S. lawmakers and regulators more closely scrutinize the competitiveness of the U.S. wireless industry. The FCC is looking at handset exclusivity deals, and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently launched an inquiry into Apple’s App Store polices and whether AT&T had any involvement in the rejection of the Google Voice application.
The OECD, or Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, says its mission is to bring together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to support sustainable economic growth and boost employment, among other things.