Cellphone tariffs to be lowered at last

This after the communications department announced over the weekend that South African consumers could see the first reduction in their cellphone bills by the end of next month.

The department said that it wanted to see interconnection rates - which cellphone operators pay each other for switching a call between networks - to drop by 30c, from R1.25 to R0.95 by the end of November and by an additional 30c over the next year.

National Consumer Forum chairman Thami Bolani said: "Having a cellphone is a necessity not a luxury for many people living in rural areas. We need reasonable, affordable telecommunications."

Independent Democrats president Patricia de Lille, who in June launched a campaign for cheaper telecommunications prices and was later joined by other political parties, welcomed the news.

"After years of being ripped off by the cellphone operators, this is the Christmas box we all deserve," she said.

The communications department will presents its policy directive to the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications on Wednesday.

The move has long been mooted as South Africa's cellphone rates are among the highest in the world.

Spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said discussions with the operators - Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Virgin - had been taking place for quite some time. "Hence we as a department, would like to see this issue resolved as soon as possible," he said.

Rikhotso said the department would ask the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to issue a directive to operators on how much and when to cut costs.

Icasa spokesman Sekgoela Sekgoela was unavailable for comment.

Source: The Times

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