Guidelines Transparency on Roaming Services This document contains the guidelines for use by the SADC regulators and mobile operators in implementing the transparency measure.
Table of Contents 1.0. INTRODUCTION... 2 2.0. PURPOSE... 3 3.0. AIM... 3 4.0. MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT TRANSPARENCY... 3 4.1. Tariff information:... 3 4.2. SMS Notification on Entry to A Visited Country... 3 4.3. Website Information... 4 5.0. COMPLIANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES... 4 6.0. EFFECTIVE DATE... 5 7.0. REVIEWS AND REPORTING... 5
1.0. INTRODUCTION The strategic role of regional mobile roaming has been recognised worldwide and various regions are now looking at ways to allow their citizens to enjoy cost-based roaming services. Roaming facilitates regional trade and travel and has the enabling character for accelerated market integration. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the challenge being faced is that the roaming charges that are a result of the market forces are unusually high compared to the underlying cost of providing the service. Currently, the roaming market is not regulated. In this case, SADC requires developing a strategy that would allow for regulatory intervention in a form of cost-based pricing and tariff transparency. In this regard, the SADC Ministers established a working committee, namely, the Regional Alliance Task Team (RATT) in 2008. The main task of the RATT is to investigate mechanisms of reducing the regional roaming tariff in the SADC member countries with a view to submitting a report to the Ministers for a final decision. Since the Ministers had already taken a principled intervention in this regard, the focus of the exercise was to propose an Action Plan to be considered by the Ministers. In addition, the RATT was to provide for a better understanding of the roaming market developments and the impact of introducing regulatory interventions. It is also a requirement that RATT ensure that regulators, within the Region, can provide incentives to operators and allow for competition, growth and innovation in the roaming market. During one of the roundtable discussions, the need to conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA I) on SADC Home and Away Roaming was recognised. However, due to financial constraints, a partial RIA was done. The report from the first study is usually recognised as RIA I. The RIA I provided the Ministers with a brief overview of roaming issues and the status of roaming in SADC, however, the study report did not provide the economic analysis on the issue. In response to the RIA I report, the Ministers adopted the following policy directives regarding provision of roaming services in the region: transparency, consumer awareness and empowerment; cost based pricing ; effective competition; regulatory certainty and predictability; and regional integration and infrastructure development. Further, the Ministers recommended that a second RIA and whose report led to the Ministers agreeing that the SADC Home and Away Roaming Project should be implemented in three phases as follows: Phase I: Liberalisation, Transparency, Information and Data Collection;
Phase II: Roam Like a Local (RLAL); and Phase III: Cost based Price Regulation. 2.0. PURPOSE The purpose of this guideline is to specify the minimum information to be provided to consumers regarding the regional roaming tariff. 3.0. AIM The aim of these guidelines is to improve transparency of mobile roaming service in SADC to avoid bill shocks. 4.0. MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT TRANSPARENCY These guidelines apply to the SADC mobile operators in their provision of the roaming services to SADC customers within the Region. These guidelines set out the minimum requirements for information provided by mobile operators in regards to ensuring that there is transparency in the tariff information on regional mobile roaming services: 4.1. Tariff information: a) Tariff per minute of incoming and outgoing voice call: i. Within the visited SADC country; ii. iii. To Home Country; and To elsewhere in SADC. b) Tariff per an SMS sent and received: i. Within the visited SADC country; ii. iii. Home Country; To elsewhere in SADC. c) Tariff per megabyte for data and MMS 4.2. SMS Notification on Entry to A Visited Country
a) Operators shall send an SMS to every SADC customer upon entry into a visited SADC country when the customer connects to a Visited SADC Country s network; b) The SMS notification shall contain the minimum information as per the Annex 1; and c) The SMS notification may also be sent to customers on a balance call limit wherever it is economically feasible for the operator to do so. 4.3. Website Information Operators shall ensure that they have updated information on their website that provides roaming tariffs applicable within SADC. 5.0. COMPLIANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES a) Mobile operators shall send a notification, within one (1) month, to their respective NRAs confirming that they are implementing the minimum specifications as set in these guidelines. b) NRAs shall send a notification, within two (2) months to CRASA confirming those operators who are implementing the minimum specifications as set out in these guidelines. c) Mobile operators shall send quarterly reports to their respective NRAs and this report shall include: i. Link to the operator s website and to a specific link where information regarding roaming tariff is being provided; ii. iii. iv. Current roaming tariffs within the SADC; Type of information being sent to SADC roamers in terms of tariffs; A matrix on Existing Prepaid Roaming Agreements with other operators within the SADC region; and v. Brief description of other initiatives being undertaken by the operators to improve roaming tariff transparency. d) NRAs shall send these quarterly reports to CRASA. e) CRASA shall submit a summary of the national reports to the RATT on a quarterly basis.
6.0. EFFECTIVE DATE These guidelines become effective by 01 June 2013 and based upon effective implementation by SADC National Regulatory Authorities. 7.0. REVIEWS AND REPORTING This Guideline shall be amended in accordance with the rules and practices of review of SADC Guidelines.
ANNEX 1: SMS NOTIFICATION MINIMUM INFORMATION TYPE OF SERVICE CHARGE UNIT 1. Tariff for Voice Call to Home Network Per minute 2. Tariff for Receiving a Voice from Home Network Per Minute 3. Voice Call to Visited Network Per Minute Voice Call from Visited Network Per Minute 4. Sending SMS Per message 5. Sending data and MMS Per megabyte 6. A link to the operator s website or customer service telephone number where updated retail roaming tariff information can be obtained