South Africa: Regulator considers regulating internet data prices

According to Reuters, South Africa is considering regulating the price of internet data as part of efforts to bring costs down and shore up the country’s ailing economy.

Willington Ngwepe is Chief Executive of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and his comments come after complaints from consumers about the cost of data in Africa’s most advanced economy.

Ngwepe said ICASA will launch a market inquiry later this month, which is likely to be take between 8 and 18 months. The inquiry is expected to help the regulator work out how and which features in the industry need to be regulated.

“What we’re going to be doing specifically is to look at regulating the price of data,” Ngwepe told Reuters on the sidelines of a telecoms conference in Durban. “But that’s going to a process that will not happen overnight.”

Five main companies dominate South Africa’s wireless broadband market, including MTN and Vodacom, which control about 70% of the market. Fixed-line operator Telkom also operates data services.

Full Content: Reuters