ICASA announced that its decision was based on the need to reduce the high cost to communicate, act in the public interest and incentivise investment. It will promote and foster a more balanced and competitive mobile industry to the benefit of consumers.
"This comes as a relief to Cell C, as over the last 18 months, it has committed itself to leading price competition even at the expense of its margins, while motivating ICASA for pro-competitive relief. Without this intervention, it was likely that the South African market would have continued to be an effective duopoly to the detriment of the consumer, industry and the South African economy. With the support of this regulation, the mobile market will continue to become more competitive on a sustainable basis," says Cell C acting CEO, Jose Dos Santos.
By increasing its share of the market and putting further pressure on the dominant competitors, the company is confident it can drive access to more affordable communications for all South Africans, even those not on its network.
"ICASA has made a decisive and positive move in publishing these regulations, which we believe is another critical step in levelling the SA telecoms market," concludes Dos Santos.
