The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) published an advertisement in the Sunday Times yesterday thanking South Africans for their support during the legal battle between the regulator and operators MTN and Vodacom over mobile termination rates (MTRs).
HumanIPO reported last week a court ruled ICASA’s cuts to mobile termination rates (MTRs) as well as asymmetric pricing for South African operators were “invalid and unlawful”, but may be implemented nonetheless.
The operators claimed the regulator had not followed the correct protocols in imposing the new rates, and asked the court to delay implementation pending legal review.
ICASA this week said it “thanks South Africans from all works of life for the support in the recent High Court challenge by operators against its attempts to reduce the cost to communicate”.
“ICASA hopes that the operators will set lower call charges because of the interconnection rates that they pay each other have in some cases been reduced,” the regulator said.
It said operators are not required to reduce costs by the full amount provided by the reduced MTRs.
“ICASA hopes, however, that the operators will pass on the benefit of the new call termination rates to consumers to the greatest possible extent” it said.
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