Cable & Wireless yesterday announced it has cut the cost of calls across the board by an average of 15 percent and claims it now offers the cheapest service on the Island.

The new rates will affect both business and residential overseas rates, with some long distance calls falling in price by as much as 43 percent. Others have been cut by 11 percent.

Eddie Saints, general manager of Cable & Wireless, said: "We are ten percent lower in all levels than our competitors.'' The new scheme is called "Big Deal'', and covers calling cards, as well as business and residential customers.

A statement from the carriers said: "Cable & Wireless announces that it has improved its day, evening and weekend rates.'' The new deal includes calls made from home during the evening and weekend to five chosen numbers which will get cut rate calls. The service costs $5 a month and calls made to Canada, the United States, UK and Ireland now cost 32 cents a minute and 60 cents a minute for the rest of the world.

Additional calls to other numbers will be billed at 40 cents a minute to Canada, United States, UK and Ireland and 75 cents a minute to the rest of the world.

"For the first time in Bermuda's long distance history, the `Big Deal' plan guarantees savings satisfaction by offering customers convenient worldwide low rates,'' Mr. Saints said. "Residential customers have access to the lowest rates in Bermuda by signing up with the leading telecommunications provider and simply picking up the phone and dialling.'' Cable & Wireless said it is also offering volume and term discounts to businesses which it says makes its service ten percent cheaper than its competitors.

A statement said: "Combined with these revised rates, Cable & Wireless' high quality service and broad product offering provide business customers with the best value in Bermuda.'' The company also said the cost of calling cards has now fallen between 15 and 43 percent "making them the lowest per minute calling cards in Bermuda.'' Cable & Wireless said that cards to the Philippines, Portugal (including the Azores), the UK and Ireland will save up to 40 percent a minute.

Mr. Saint said: "Cable & Wireless has always been competitive, offering our customers exemplary customer care and quality products and services. In offering our standard rate reduction across-the-board and launching our new `Big Deal' plan, we want to continue to lead this ever-changing market by ensuring substantial savings get passed along to our customers.''