DATA BUNDLES
Vodacom takes flak on planned rollover fee
An analyst says Vodacom's plans to charge customers to roll over unused data go "against the spirit" of new regulations
Facing a public backlash over its plans to charge consumers to roll over expiring and unused data, Vodacom said on Monday it was "reviewing" its fees. With SA’s new data expiry rules set to come into effect at the end of this week, social media users expressed their outrage on Monday after discovering that Vodacom planned to charge fees for its "data bundle rollover service". From Friday March 1, mobile operators must let customers roll over unused data, according to regulations set by the Independent Communications Authority of SA. Currently customers typically forfeit any data that remains unused when it expires. The new rules are aimed at reducing costs for consumers and ultimately boosting the digital economy. The proposed carry-over charges could undermine those efforts, an analyst said. That "almost ends up defeating the purpose", Mergence Investment Managers portfolio manager Peter Takaendesa said. "That goes against the spirit of that requirement — it’s the same as buying an...
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