Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 27-09-2016
The Office of the ANC Chief Whip says service providers and network operators are to blame for the high costs of data in South Africa.
The institution has commended the parliamentary portfolio committee on telecommunications and postal services for taking the fight to the network providers on behalf of consumers against what it calls the excessive and unjustifiable mobile data prices.
The committee last week held public hearings and considered submissions from various stakeholders, including major mobile operators and the public, as part of a parliamentary intervention to ensure reasonable and affordable cost of data in the country.
Speaking to Radio Islam, spokesperson for the ANC Chief Whip, Moloto Mothapo South Africa’s mobile operators are currently amongst the most expensive in the world, and the runaway data cost increases has seen an upsurge in complaints from the public.
“It has to be the service providers, the network operators who have been greedy. We are not saying they must be provided freely, but we are saying they must be provided in accordance with the international standard.”
He says ICASA, the regulatory body that accounts to Parliament, must act swiftly to ensure that affordable cost of data in South Africa is realised.
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