FSB supporting Terminate the Rate to save small businesses money

Date: 3rd July 2009

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has offered its support to the Terminate the Rate campaign which is fighting for the cost of calling a different phone network to be lowered.

The reduction in cost could result in small businesses saving significant amounts of money, the FSB has suggested.

Currently, when a call is made from a landline to another network, the caller is charged a Mobile Termination Rate.

This rate is currently about 4.7 pence. The campaign hopes to get this reduced to one pence or lower.

Stephen Alambritis, chief spokesperson for the FSB, said the campaign was good for a number of people and sectors.

He commented: "The Federation of Small Businesses is supporting the campaign to 'Terminate the Rate' because lower termination rates are good for business, good for consumers and good for the economy.

"If termination rates came down to their real cost then the UK's 4.7 million small businesses would all save on their phone bills, making them more competitive."

The campaign is headed by phone operators BT and 3.