MTN SA and VODACOM agree to lower interconnect fees
MTN SA has confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Vodacom, and is pursuing bilateral negotiations with Cell C and other operators.
The two parties reached an agreement based on parameters set in earlier negotiations, which have been underway for some time.
These bilateral negotiations take place in terms of the regulations by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), which has oversight over the process.
In terms of the agreement, the parties proposed approximately 19% immediate reduction of the blended wholesale interconnect tariffs, with further reductions year-on-year for the following three years.
This reduction cycle will enable MTN SA to make the necessary changes to its operations and long-term commitments to reflect the decrease in interconnect rates.
In terms of due process, the two parties will now need to lodge the agreement with ICASA for their regulatory oversight.
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[...] 6. Lower interconnect fees from MTN SA and Vodacom In October 2009, telecom operators MTN South Africa and Vodacom both reached an agreement to lower interconnect fees by 19% between networks and agreed to pursue negotiations with Cell C and other operators. Read more on http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=3279 [...]