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Icasa targets curbing roaming ‘bill shock’

Johannesburg - High international roaming bills that catch travelling South African mobile subscribers by surprise could be minimised in future.

This is as local regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), has published draft amendments to the Electronic Communications Act of 2005.

In the amendments - which are focused on end-user and subscriber charter regulations - Icasa has outlined how it wants networks to better notify travelling subscribers of roaming fees and their data usage.

Icasa also wants subscribers to be given the option to opt out of roaming on an international network.

A controversial local example of bill shock involved the deputy speaker in the Limpopo legislature, Lehlogonolo Masoga, who reportedly notched up a R125 000 cellphone bill last year after travelling to the US.

Have you suffered roaming bill shock? Tell us your story by clicking here.

According to the City Press, Masoga’s high bill was allegedly largely owing to porn viewing which racked up high data usage on his government Vodacom account. Masoga, at the time, denied the allegations.

To curb all instances of bill shock then, Icasa has highlighted that local mobile network  licensees must send a welcome SMS messages to all subscribers roaming internationally.

Icasa also wants networks to comply with supplying subscribers with the following information, according to a government gazette released on October 9:

- Toll-free voice, SMS and email customer care contact details;

- Voicemail retrieval number and applicable rates;

- Roaming networks available upon arrival in a foreign country;

- Charges applicable to incoming and outgoing voice, data and incoming and outgoing SMS;

- An opt-in or opt out service that allows the consumer to demonstrate their decision to roam or stop roaming;

- Real-time roaming usage updates;

- Regular updates of at least once every 24 hours, on the level of usage; current account balance; and remaining amount of data in relation to any applicable usage cap; and

- The operator must send a summary of the terms and conditions for roaming via SMS,

- A link to the section on the operator’s website that sets out the terms and conditions for international roaming.

Icasa further said that networks and resellers “must ensure that all of the terms and conditions, including tariffs in respect of international roaming are clearly stated in simple language on the licensee's website and must be easily accessible”. The regulator has also further called for terms and conditions to be communicated via e-mail or other means in writing to subscribers who activate international roaming telephonically.

Meanwhile, Icasa’s draft amendments also pay attention to tightening up how networks deal with billing complaints, signing subscribers up to contracts, promotions, itemised billing and third-party billing.

The public have been asked to provide comments on the draft amendments within 30 days.

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