Kudos to Patricia de Lille for getting ICASA to re-examine South Africa's 'highest cellphone rates in the world'

"Everybody agrees that the cost of telecommunications in South Africa is too high, but up until now no one has done anything about it," she said.

SHOOT: In the USA and UK they have such low rates that virtually no one sends text messages. It is an absolute skande that a country where 40% live below the poverty line, you actually have state sanctioned costs like these. But it's no wonder South Africa is one of the most profitable markets. Margins must be huge.

clipped from www.thetimes.co.za The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa on Thursday agreed that there was a need to look into high cellphone rates, said Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille. She said the communications sector regulator had also offered to co-operate with the Competition Commission in its investigation into possible collusion and anti-competitive behaviour by cellphone operators. De Lille recently complained to the Competition Commission that South Africa had some of the highest cellphone call costs in the world and marginalised its low income citizens in telecommunications as a result. She said Icasa agreed that the Competition Commission Act needed to be amended to allow the body to regulate cellphone rates. She would assist by taking the proposed amendments to Parliament, De Lille said.