R2K to picket outside network providers to demand affordable data

Right2Know (R2K) Gauteng will on Tuesday be picketing outside the offices of four mobile network providers‚ demanding affordable data and airtime.

“These are follow-up actions after service providers failed to act on demands that have been continuously presented to them since R2K initiated the campaign against high cost of communications in 2013. To date none of the demands have been met‚” R2K said in a statement.

“We remain resolute that our right to communicate‚ to receive and impart information and opinions‚ is central to our right to know. Yet far too many South Africans are deprived of the basic right to communicate because of the ruthless profiteering of the big telecoms companies. High data and airtime prices place this right out of reach of the country's poor.

“South Africa has some of the highest data/airtime costs in the world. It is outrageous that in a country where so many struggle to put bread on the table‚ the telecoms companies are given free rein to rip us off.”

The organisation will from 10 am picket outside Cell C’s head office in Sandton‚ Vodacom in Midrand‚ MTN in Randburg and Telkom in Centurion.

They are demanding affordable data and airtime for all South Africans‚ that all SMSes be free as they cost the operators “almost nothing” to transmit.

“Everyone should get a free basic amount of airtime and data in the same way that we have free basic water and electricity. ICASA must regulate the cost of airtime and data to stop profiteering‚” the organisation said.

They also demand that data bundles should not expire.

“Cell phone companies must improve the quality of service‚ including network outages‚ dropped calls‚ calls that don’t connect‚ and data coverage.

“The range of numbers that are free to call (like police and ambulance) should be increased to include our children’s schools and hospitals.”

Last year radio personality Thabo Tbo Touch Molefe spearheaded the #DataMustFall campaign‚ which gained popularity on social media.

Molefe told TimesLIVE back then that the campaign was inspired by the challenges faced by young people‚ especially students‚ when it comes to accessing information due to high data costs. He said that young people are “always broke” and cannot afford the high costs.

Molefe was later invited by parliament to present his case before the ICT committee.

At the hearings‚ deputy director general responsible for ICT policy development‚ Willie Vukela‚ said minister Siyabonga Cele had already issued a policy directive to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on the reduction of data costs.