Interconnect rate cut approved
ICASA approves interconnect rate agreements from Vodacom, MTN and Cell C
ICASA approves interconnect rate agreements from Vodacom, MTN and Cell C
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Cellular interconnect rate cut approved
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Sting
Ghost in the Machine
I wonder if Telkom will be allowed to file their reduced rates tomorrow? They had the Zimbabwe tariff filing at ICASA and they cannot submit the reduced local rates for cellphone calls unless ICASA approve/reject the Zim filing. Apparently you can only have one filing at a time at ICASA.... I think 2 confuses them!!!
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Finally, some halfway decent news from ICASA... maybe there is some life in the rotting copse?
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
There should be a third option on the poll... "Prices will eventually drop, but not right away"
Hectic
Executive Member
+1
I think think the potential lost of income will be carried over to us, the consumers. That would be the logical thing to do.
Not really, they've welcomed and accepted the reduction but still will be pushing for what they deem necessary. Question is.. with networks already playing hardball and icasa looking like a has been, how ballsy wont they be in x months when icasa decides a further reduction needs to be forced upon them indirectly.(well a forced but voluntary meeting between respective parties about lowering interconnect prices again..) in the end icsa will just have set it and be done will all this footsy play
You're on the money! They are far too reliant on the money-for-jam income derived from this fee that it would hard to simply just turn off the tap. Whilst I hope for the best, I do not foresee this being the immediate ticket to call rates dropping. Over time though it should drop. And if the competition between operators were actually existent, then this drop might happen sooner rather than much later. Happy to be surprised though.
Ja, now that the money for jam is drying up ... It seems Vodacom (a member of the DMA) are sooooo hard up these days they are getting Elite Mobile (also a DMA member) to totally ignore their DMA member requirements by ignoring the directives of the "Do Not Contact Me" register.
Now I am getting spam telemarketers from Elite Mobile offering me "high volume" packages on Vodacom (after I spent years trying to get away from that scum, do you honestly think I want to go pack to that pain and suffering ... )
Now I am getting spam telemarketers from Elite Mobile offering me "high volume" packages on Vodacom (after I spent years trying to get away from that scum, do you honestly think I want to go pack to that pain and suffering ... )
Joe Average
Senior Member
Neotel ? Do they still exist ?
Joe Average
Senior Member
I think the market is at the tipping point where more room to fight on price will result in cheaper rates... Not as much as the drop in interconnection rates but still room for a drop... Around 15 or so cents....
zamicro
Expert Member
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Please reread the article. ICASA will still continue with the normal process to determine interconnection rates. This is just a voluntary interim reduction by the cell networks.
Mercurious
Well-Known Member
This is great news for the South African on the street. I believe that prices will come down soon enough. Wonder whether Skype rates to cellphones will decrease.
LOL, nowhere or anywhere does this mean that the man on the street will make a saving on cellphone bills. This is merely a decrease in fee's that these Corporate's have to pay to each other 
Meaning more profit in their pockets
They have no obligation to lower the End user fee's why should they, they are making a killing.
Meaning more profit in their pockets They have no obligation to lower the End user fee's why should they, they are making a killing.
Shake&Bake
Party Liaison
LOL, nowhere or anywhere does this mean that the man on the street will make a saving on cellphone bills. This is merely a decrease in fee's that these Corporate's have to pay to each other
They have no obligation to lower the End user fee's why should they, they are making a killing.
Agreed, this by no means will mean any savings for customers at the moment.
It's good to see that they (the operators) have amended their submissions and are still willing to drop the rates.
But how the dropped rate, at current values, will translate into saving for customers? I don't know.
Are they going to be launching new products or billing systems so that 'Average Joe' can benefit from it?
Will this current agreement be enough (for this year at least) to stimulate any competition between operators?
This is a good start.
All I really want is for ICASA to continue with it's process of investigating the costs of MTR's.
And for them to come to a conclusion which would be beneficial to citizens of this country with regards to it's draft Wholesale Call Termination Regulations due soon.
Sting
Ghost in the Machine
LOL, nowhere or anywhere does this mean that the man on the street will make a saving on cellphone bills. This is merely a decrease in fee's that these Corporate's have to pay to each other
They have no obligation to lower the End user fee's why should they, they are making a killing.
I agree that you probably will not see any price reduction to the user w.r.t. cell-to-cell calls.
But you will see a reduction when you dial from a Telkom landline to a cell number, as Telkom have indicated that they will be passing on the full 36c MTR reduction to the user.