South Africa’s three mobile operators, MTN, Vodacom and Cell C, plan to cut their interconnection rates next month according to a plan that they have agreed between themselves.
Such a move would defy the telecom regulator ICASA, which last week rejected…
South Africa’s three mobile operators, MTN, Vodacom and Cell C, plan to cut their interconnection rates next month according to a plan that they have agreed between themselves.
Such a move would defy the telecom regulator ICASA, which last week rejected the proposal that the trio submitted as part of a review to slash interconnection rates.
However, according to local reports, the operators say they will implement their new rates from March 1, independent of ICASA’s decision.
In January, MTN, Vodacom and Cell C agreed to gradually reduce their interconnection fees to an average rate of R61c, taking into account peak and off-peak rates.
As part of their proposal, peak rates would drop from R1.25 to R0.89 in March, further dropping to R0.85 in October 2011 and R0.80 in October 2012. Off-peak rates, meanwhile, would remain at their current levels until 2013.
However, ICASA decided not to back the plan as it says it seeks to bind the agency into an agreement not to review the rates again before March 2013.
The announcement suggests that South Africa’s interconnection debate is still far from settled.
