Data roll over costs scrapped

MOBILE operator Vodacom has made an about turn on data roll over charges, announcing that it would roll over data for free following outrage from its customers and South Africa’s telecommunications regulator.

The company had initially indicated that it would charge customers R49 to roll over unused data or to transfer data to friends and family.

Following a backlash, Vodacom detailed its new tariffs ahead of new data rules taking effect this week.

“From March 1, remaining data on bundle purchases by all customers will be rolled over at no additional charge once a customer purchases the same bundle as the original one,” the statement said.

Transferring unused data will, however, come at a cost.

“Customers will be able to transfer data that is about to expire to friends and family on the Vodacom network for fees ranging from free for 50MB up to a maximum of R20 for 1GB.”

In a bid to lower the high cost of data in South Africa, the EndUser and Subscriber Service Charter regulations were amended and come into effect tomorrow.

The new rules on data include consumers being notified of how much data they are consuming, people being given the option to roll over or transfer data before it expires, and mobile operators not being able to charge consumers out of bundle rates without their prior consent. |