When SA completed its latest, long overdue radio frequency spectrum auction in March, it created an expectation in the minds of consumers that mobile data costs will be reduced. 

The Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) have previously flagged the delay in the allocation of additional spectrum as one of the reasons behind high mobile data costs in SA. With the vast majority of South Africans relying on mobile data for internet access, lower data costs are critical for our developing country’s quest to improve access to education, employment and information. ..