Belarus. Phonecards for universal cardphones.

From the 1st of November 2000 Beltelecom begun to sell so called 'phonecards for universal cardphones'. These universal cardphones are the first payphones which can be used for making local, intercity and international calls. Devices were designed and are manufactured in Minsk. Test network of such cardphones was implemented also in Minsk. To the middle of 2001 such cardphones were installed in all country regions: 1 May - Minsk and Mogilev regions, 15 May - Vitebsk region, 15 June - Grodno region, 15 July - Brest region, 15 August - Gomel region.

Currently the cards of 20, 100, 500, 750 tariff units minrage are sold. In fact, tariff unit is equivalent to one minute of local city call. Price of this minute local call changes from time to time, so price of new phonecard also changes. Currently these cards are sold here at the following prices:
/1-August-2001/

The first name of new cards was 'phonecards with large capacity', because phonecards of 500 and 750 units were issued firstly. The reason is that maximum mintage of phonecards for ordinary local cardphones network - 120 units /or minutes/ and it costs near USD0.85. One can only say 'hello' while making long distance international call. As an example, large capacity phonecard of 500 units has the following time limits for calls: USA - 2 minutes, Europe countries - 8 minutes, Russia - 10 minutes, intercity in Belarus - 3 hours and 40 minutes, Minsk area - 7 hours and 5 minutes, local city - 8 and a half hours.

Other new features for Byelorussian phonecards are expiration date and plastic film cover in which every new phonecard is sold.

Information of cards issued could be found on the page about Beltelecom phonecards catalogue.

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Last updated: 29-September-2001