ZAMBIA Competition Commission (ZCC) has commended mobile phone operators that have publicised their pre-paid roaming rates and internet browsing charges which consumers have complained about for a long time.
In February this year, ZCC engaged the mobile phone operators and requested them to disclose roaming charges and browsing the internet which according to investigations conducted by the commsission were not known by many users.
ZCC public relations officer, Vaida Bunda said the commission would continue to monitor the market for unfair trading practices to ensure that as firms succeed in their various businesses, the benefits are also passed on to the consumers.
Ms Bunda said in a statement in Lusaka that the commission had since last year received many complaints concerning non or full disclosure of roaming rates by mobile phone operators, which left most subscribers in the dark as to how much they were being charged for making calls while on roaming service.
“The commission also received complaints relating to mobile internet browsing whose charges have previously not been made available to users. The commission however, considers the publicising of roaming charges by mobile operators as good news for consumers because they can now decide objectively on whether to roam or simply buy a simpack from the country they are travelling to,” she said.
Ms Bunda noted that consumers would be able to decide based on comparisons in price of the roaming charges and that of the cost of calling using the local network from a purchased simpack in the country they are calling from.
She, however, said the commission considered that there should be options availed to internet users on whether they should be billed per second, minute, hour or megabyte.
“Charging per megabyte appears to be too technical for consumers to understand the billing and it may raise conflicts in future,” Ms Bunda said.
[Times of Zambia]
Long over-due. Power to the consumer. Thanks. This affirms professionalism.
I was just talking about this issue on the ZAMTEL blog.. This should be extended to all services and not just Roaming & Internet.. Withthe so called privatisatons, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS MUST BE STRENGTHENED AND enforecement bodies given statutorypowers to bite, tought penalties and even revoke operating licences.. and without undue interference from GRZ that would be compromised by kickbacks from these companies and their donations to their political parties.