PRESSURE is mounting on mobile network operators to lower data costs as the regulator vows to protect consumers. On Wednesday, Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C briefed Parliament on data costs following complaints from consumers. The cellphone network operators blamed the lack of spectrum for high data prices. Consumers have also been complaining about disappearing data and the inability to carry over unused data to the following month. The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) said on Thursday that even though it had yet to develop a specific framework to regulate data pricing, it aimed to protect consumers by setting regulations with which licensees had to comply. One of these regulations is the End-user and Subscriber Service Charter, which was amended in April 2016 to include greater protection for consumers. According to Icasa, the regulations impose extensive transparency obligations on network providers such as informing consumers, at the point of sale or before s...
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