How Icasa failed mobile users on data
Icasa has missed the point: its job is to look after consumers, not protect profit-hungry cellular operators
In a demonstration of how important the cost of mobile data is, television news channel eNCA last week broadcast a live press conference of the eagerly awaited outcome of the telecommunications regulator’s investigation into data pricing. It wasn’t worth the airtime. The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) spent an hour waffling about competition law and other pointless considerations. Listening to its councillors, one would think these problems have never been tackled before, certainly not in Europe, where there has been aggressive competition and regulators have tackled the issue like it really mattered. Icasa last year gazetted draft regulations to ensure data bundles did not expire for staggered periods of time — though these regulations bizarrely failed to address the more pressing need for the poorest of consumers, who buy smaller and cheaper bundles, while favouring pricier and bigger ones. The regulations were updated in November to make bundles valid for a un...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.