The National Institute of Communications of Mozambique (INCM) is developing a Tariff Management System to ensure greater transparency in data packages, scheduled to become operational in November.
The platform will strengthen monitoring of tariffs and packages offered by operators, compare tariffs, identify the effective price of a service — including its conditions and validity — verify the conditions applied to consumers, and ensure greater transparency and accountability in the provision of telecommunications services.
The regulator said on Thursday it had become aware, through social media and news reports, of consumer concerns about the rapid depletion of mobile data packages.
The move reflects a broader continental trend, as African regulators increasingly clamp down on high data costs and unfair billing practices to protect consumers.
South Africa's Independent Communications Authority amended its service charter to ban automatic out-of-bundle charging and mandate strict data depletion alerts, while Namibia's Communications Regulatory Authority launched dedicated audits and technical verifications of operator billing systems following public outcry over rapid data depletion.
By tightening oversight, Mozambique aligns itself with these regional efforts to make connectivity both affordable and transparent.
"In the specific domain of data services, the aim is to ensure that the advertised quality of the packages has effective utility for the consumer, and that the depletion of the data volume does not result in an abrupt interruption of the service before the scheduled date," the INCM said.
The regulator is also restructuring telecoms packages with a view to fairer, more predictable offerings, an initiative that will affect major operators including Vodacom, Tmcel and Movitel.
"The regulator encourages operators to provide clear, accessible and verifiable information about actual consumption, available balances, and the conditions applicable to each package, explaining the factors that determine the level of mobile data consumption," it said.
INCM said it would continue to monitor consumer concerns and work with operators to ensure greater transparency, better quality of service and more effective consumer protection.
Where there are indications of irregularities in data accounting, it said the necessary technical checks would be carried out and applicable regulatory measures adopted.
"The INCM reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of a modern, inclusive, competitive and sustainable communications sector, capable of supporting the objectives of digital transformation, economic development and social inclusion in Mozambique," the regulator said.
Public pressure has forced regulators' hands elsewhere on the continent before.
ITWeb Africa reported that Zimbabwe's POTRAZ cut out-of-bundle mobile data charges by more than half in 2018 following a national cost-modelling review, and that Malawian operators Airtel Malawi and TNM slashed pay-as-you-go data prices in 2020 after a month-long social media campaign forced the issue onto regulators' agendas.
Mozambique's move suggests a similar dynamic, with online complaints translating into direct regulatory action.
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