THE WAR IS ON.

Just a day after Blue Communications Limited extended its operations to a card service offering cheaper calling rates to locals and visitors calling overseas, Cable & Wireless (C&W) has announced a rate reduction with their calling cards.

The Blue Connect card service had a calling rate set at 59 cents per minute last week, with calls going to Europe and North America.

However, last Friday C&W dropped their rate to 49 cents per minute. Then on Monday, Blue Communications reduced its rates by 10 cents to match Cable & Wireless' offer.

Marketing Manager of Blue Communications Keithan Laurie said it was clear their presence was being recognised.

"We were here doing inbound calls for two years and what we have brought now is good rates for the consumers to major areas – North America and Europe. We have had to reduce our rate to 49 cents and the competition can only benefit the consumer," she told the SATURDAY SUN.

The Blue Connect calling card service allows card use through pay phones and fixed lines but cannot be used with cellular phones. It also promises more talk for less money.

The major advantage of the card identified by Laurie was that it could also be taken overseas and used to call Barbados as long as there was credit left on the card.

Corporate communications manager for the telecom giant C&W, Sara Odle, said it was customary for them to reduce rates and pointed to an advertisement in yesterday's WEEKEND NATION where new prepaid international calling card rates were posted. Calls to the United States, Canada and Britain stand at 49 cents per minute.

Laurie said that in the coming weeks, Blue Communications' marketing would become more aggressive and they would be targeting more than 1 300 retailers to make the card more available. (PCA)