Telecoms regulator the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) is looking to evaluate the impact of its mobile data-expiry regulations on licensees and consumers.
Earlier this year, ICASA introduced the End-user and Subscriber Service Charter Amendment Regulations, after being on the cards for a few years.
Among the new regulations is the provision to allow users to opt-in or opt-out of out-of-bundle (OOB) data charges to minimise bill shock. Furthermore, operators are required to allow users to rollover unused data before the expiry date and transfer data to users on the same network.
In a statement, ICASA says it seeks public comments and submissions from all interested stakeholders to conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA).
Stakeholders are invited to submit written responses to the questionnaire or request the information within 30 working days from the date of publication of the notice and questionnaire.
“The RIA process is necessitated by growing concerns from consumers that some of the requirements of the regulations outlined below are not being properly implemented by licensees; and that there are not much changes since the coming into effect of the End-User and Subscriber Service Charter Regulations.”
The four key pro-consumer interventions introduced by the ICASA regulations:
1.Usage notifications
Licensees are required to send usage depletion notifications to consumers when their usage is at 50%, 80% and 100% depletion levels. Licensees are also required to provide consumers with an option to opt-out of usage depletion notifications for voice, SMS and data services.
2.Out-of-bundle billing
Licensees are not allowed to charge consumers OOB rates for data when their data has run out without the consumers’ specific prior consent.
3.Rollover of data
Licensees are required to provide an option to consumers to rollover unused data.
4.Transfer of data
Licensees are required to provide an option to consumers to transfer data to other users on the same network.
“In order to carry out the impact assessment, ICASA has developed and published a notice and questionnaire to obtain information from all interested stakeholders including licensees, consumers and consumer groups, civil society organisations and other community-based organisations.
“The information and opinions obtained from market participants and general stakeholders will be considered when evaluating the impact of the regulations on licensees and consumers,” concludes ICASA.
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