This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Regulatory Impact Assessment I – (partial RIA) Embarked on due to resource constraints. To get an overview of wholesale and retail roaming tariffs by operators in SADC and some benchmark studies.
Regulatory Impact Assessment II - Implications of International Roaming tariffs on regional tariffs; Inter-Operator Tariffs(IOT) and Market and Regulatory factors influencing international roaming wholesale and retail charges.
Regulatory Impact Assessment III – an impact analysis; economic analysis, consumer surveys and collect and analyse market data and recommend.
Questionnaires were sent via CRASA to NRAs who sent them to their respective Operators to provide roaming traffic volumes for voice/ SMS/ Data over a 6 month period.
The initial response rate was 23.5%. Operators followed up diligently by Regulators to no avail. Responses deadline extended by a further three months but
response rate only increased to 41%. Large sections of Questionnaires were NOT completed. Much of information supplied insufficient and made integrity
of data gathered through questionnaires a key concern. 4 out of 14 responded in a format useless for the survey.
FINDING 1 – ROAMING LEVELS IN SADC CONSTITUTE A SMALL FRACTION OF BUSINESS (TRAFFIC & REVENUE)
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2009
ASSUMPTIONS MADE
[1] http://fx-rate.net/EUR/USD/ accessed on 25 May 2012[2] Assume 50/50 originating and receiving voice call split.[3] Rate calculated using average between price caps for calls made and calls received[4] Price cap only applicable from July 2012
OTHER FINDINGS
Wholesale cost of roaming in SADC is indeterminate due to erratic Inter-Operator Tariffs(IOTs). Different networks different charges plus roaming overhead cost varies.
Only operators in Mauritius and Seychelles have substantial roaming revenue streams.
In SADC Post-paid Roaming is more prevalent than Prepaid. 73% interviewed offer prepaid.
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2009
FURTHER FINDINGS
Very few roaming agreements in SADC and no specialist roaming hubs exist.
Most subscribers travelling in Region rely on plastic roaming. Evidence - high Churn Rate.
RICA (Regulation of Interception of Communication Act) to affect plastic roaming.
Small operators crippled in roaming market by their lack of scale.
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2009
FURTHER FINDINGS
Some large operators claim to have taken roaming to another level- eg “One Network; One World and Vodafone Passport” initiatives.
Low consumer awareness, no transparency for end user. Transparency Commercial decision rather than regulatory one.
Inter-Operator Tariffs, Roaming Overhead Costs and Retail Margins well above Costs.
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2009
WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHERE TO- HOME AND AWAY ROAMING PROJECT
1. Transparency Guidelines have been issued√Transparency, Consumer Awareness,
Empowerment = PHASE ITariff InformationSMS Notification on entry to visited countryWebsite Information
2. Cost Based tariffs=PHASE II (Seeking Funding)×
3. Roam Like a Local=PHASE III (Seek Funding) ×
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2009
I THANK YOU
THE END
@ Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa 2010