Data kind of falls, but more needed

Icasa’s data-expiry proposal is a good move but bigger steps must be taken to stimulate SA’S Internet economy

It’s not the #Datamustfall that people have been begging for, but the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has given us #Datamustnotexpire. The telecoms regulator has published draft regulations in the Government Gazette, stipulating new time frames for the expiry of data. This is a good step, and such proactivity should be rewarded.

Cellular operators obviously want to ensure regular income and consistency of network use, so they sell data bundles. But if that bundle expires, these operators punish their own customers for consuming more of the thing they are actually selling. It makes no sense. Why penalise your customer for consuming more of what you want to sell them?

A persistent consumer complaint is that data bundles expire — which critics often suggest might contravene the Consumer Protection Act.

Previous interventions by Icasa have brought down the cost of voice calls, and given smaller operators such as Cell C and Telkom Mobile a chance to compete.

But Icasa has made a terrible mistake. Its sliding scale a`pplied to data expiry still punishes the poorer end of the market. The less you earn, the more careful you are with your purchases; and even if buying in bulk is ultimately cheaper, people don’t have the cash flow to do that.

So, as with all things sold in smaller packages, from washing powder to mealie meal, poor people tend to buy in the smallest increment they can. The smaller data bundles — which still expire the soonest — are those bought by users at the bottom of the market.

SA needs to grow the number of people using the mobile Internet and digital world that now runs the planet — especially the youngsters, who will ultimately be the next wave of entrepreneurs and workers. We need engineers, computer scientists, artificial intelligence researchers, coders, and a new workforce of tech-savvy, Internet-savvy go-getters.

The future of commerce is digital. We need to let our young people focus on learning new digital skills and being media-savvy in this new mobile world, instead of being terrified they will use up their airtime.

In digital education, the Internet is the Garden of Eden for a hungry mind — and data is like rain. Having an online presence encourages people to buy online, spurring e-commerce.

Tech-savvy youngsters also see the holes in the Internet and invent the next generation of services, like how to share video on desktop computers (Youtube) or post pictures via mobile (Instagram) or make calls through the Internet (Skype) or send instant messages (Whatsapp, Wechat, Messenger) or plain old tweet (Twitter).

SA’S young people are being forced to focus on the wrong thing, holding back their development. Instead of fear of data consumption, we need to replace mobile data anxiety with fearless exploration. These data-expiry rules are a good step, but they need greater thought. And more bite.

In digital education, the Internet is the Garden of Eden — and data is like rain