By Telecom Lead Team: Fifteen providers of the prepaid phone call services in
America have decided to form an industry association.
The new association, to be called
the American PrePaid Phonecall Association, will focus on promoting high value
prepaid telephone services to consumers and serving as the voice of the
industry.
Gustavo M. de la Garza Ortega, the
president of Marcatel and a recognized international leader in the
telecommunications sector, was elected chairman, and Pete Pattullo, CEO of
NetworkIP, was elected vice chairman. Gene Retske, who recently retired as
editor of The Prepaid Press, will serve as the executive director and
will oversee day to day operations.
The group of industry leaders,
representing the majority of the prepaid calling market in the U.S., has
created this association to protect the industry’s interests, good name and
public trust by guaranteeing best practices, and by speaking with one voice for
the industry and its consumers.
“We decided to form an
association because of the need for the industry to address issues as a group.
Consumers will benefit from the association, which has pledged to provide a
high value product for its millions of customers,” said de la Garza.
The prepaid phone call industry
started in the U.S. in the early 1990s, and is the most important lifeline
immigrants have to stay in contact with friends and family back home. Prepaid
phone calls offer an easy and most economical way to make international long
distance calls from any telephone.
The association will work closely
with consumer groups and government regulators to protect consumer rights by
setting standards for prepaid phone call providers and their products.
