National
Cheaper cellphone calls on the cards─── 07:40 Sat, 05 Oct 2013
Consumers could soon be paying less for cellphone calls.
This after the Independent Communications Authority of SA Icasa) yesterday released its draft call termination regulations, which pertain the fees operators pay to connect calls between networks.
According to Icasa, the current rate of 40 cents a minute levied by operators like Vodacom and MTN will drop to 20 cents a minute in 2014, 15 cents in 2015 and 10 cents in 2016.
Icasa also introduced an asymmetric rates system for smaller operators with a market share of less than 20 percent, like Cell C and Telkom Mobile.
Under the asymmetric system, the current 44 cents a minute will drop to 39 cents in 2014, 33 cents in 2015, and 26 cents in 2016. It will reach 10 cents a minute by 2019.
In 2010, Icasa determined that ineffective competition existed in the provision of call termination because of inefficient pricing.
- Sapa