ICASA to Gazette Amended Data Bundle Regulations by November 2025

Posted 18 September 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Communications & Digital Technologies

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is in the process of finalising draft amendments to the End-user and Subscriber Service Charter Regulations, which were originally established under the Electronic Communications Act, No. 36 of 2005.

The proposed amendments seek to provide for the standardisation of the application of bundle roll-over and transfer by licensees. This regulatory update follows a briefing to the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry & Competition regarding the cost and expiration of data bundles in South Africa. The draft regulations were first released for public comment in February 2024, and ICASA has indicated that the final amended regulations are expected to be gazetted in November 2025.

The primary objectives of the envisaged amendments include:

  • Standardising the rules governing how unused data and voice bundles are rolled over to subsequent billing periods;
  • Establishing uniform protocols for the transfer of bundles between subscribers on the same network;
  • Ensuring greater transparency and consumer protection regarding the expiration of prepaid and contract communication services; and
  • Reducing the effective cost of communication by preventing the premature forfeiture of paid-for services.

According to the ICASA presentation circulated during the committee meeting, the authority is currently processing the feedback received during the public consultation phase to ensure the final framework is technically feasible for all licensees while meeting the policy objective of lowering communication costs.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct professional filing requirement; however, you should monitor the final publication in November 2025 to understand your rights regarding the retention of unused data and voice minutes.
  • For your business: Review corporate mobile service level agreements (SLAs) and data procurement policies in late 2025 to ensure the firm benefits from the mandatory roll-over and transfer provisions once they come into effect.
  • For your clients: Clients operating as electronic communications service (ECS) licensees must prepare to audit and update their billing and provisioning systems to comply with the new standardised roll-over and transfer requirements by the November 2025 deadline.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/communication-costs-bundle-roll-over-transfer-regulatory-update

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