Viva competition! Codetel and Tricom are improving their offers to face competition for cellular market share from Orange (France Telecom) and Centennial (Centennial Corporation-USA). Orange and Centennial have set up small booths in commercial centers all around the city and are setting up small shops seemingly all over town. The technologies offered are better, the price plans better and service has considerably improved overall. El Siglo newspaper reports that while it is estimated that only 5% of Dominicans own cellular phones today, the entrance of the new players is expanding the market. The companies are offering to exchange old analog cellular phones for digital phones and cellular phones that sold for thousands of pesos are now going for under RD$500 for those signing on to new company plans. Orange is selling an Ericsson cellular for RD$490 with free activation, monthly rent of RD$195 which includes 30 minutes, and RD$1.95 per additional minute. They have other plans where the base fee is lowered and the additional per minute fee increased. Orange also offers a happy hour from 8 to 9 pm when callers can telephone the US or Puerto Rico for RD$3.95 the minute. Centennial is offering to exchange an analog phone for a digital one and is including the first 60 minutes. The client needs to purchase a prepaid card for RD$220 a month, with 60 minutes, additional minutes are sold for RD$3.67. Centennial also has plans where it costs the same to call the US than it does to call within the DR. Tricom has joined with a sale on Motorola cellular phones, free activation plans. They have a monthly rate plan of RD$295 which facilitates calling at night for RD$2.75 the minute to the US and RD$2.50 the minute during the day. Codetel is also changing cellular analog for digital with the payment of RD$500. It has a corporate plan where users pay RD$275 monthly rent, with 45 minutes included, and an additional RD$2.25 for the overtime.
