Icasa has amended regulations in a move that will materially change how mobile data, voice and SMS bundles work.

TechCentral

South African communications regulator Icasa has introduced stricter consumer protection rules for mobile operators, requiring automatic bundle rollover, mandatory usage notifications at 50%, 80%, and 100% depletion, and explicit opt-in for out-of-bundle charges. The regulations mandate that operators deplete bundles with earliest expiry dates first, allow unlimited bundle transfers between users on the same network, and extend bundle validity during network outages. These changes take effect in early 2027, giving operators 12 months to adapt their billing systems despite industry pushback about increased costs and regulatory overreach.

Mobile operators face tougher rules on data and billing

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