South Sudan is working with mobile network operators to address what it feels are excessive fees imposed by mobile and internet service providers.
Ateny Wek Ateny, the new minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Services, has promised to ease the burden on customers.
He recommitted to this when he met with Philippe Hanna, CEO of Zain, on Thursday. Speaking at the conference in Juba, the minister lamented the country's high internet and communication charges.
“The internet is a human right,” he said. “South Sudanese deserve affordable rates to enable them to communicate and benefit from the goodies that come with internet services, especially education and business transactions.”
Furthermore, the minister stated: "The cheaper the internet and communication charges, the better since the mobile and internet service providers have a market of over 5 million mobile and internet users in the country."
This week, the minister also raised similar concerns with MTN South Sudan, the country’s leading mobile network operator.
“Internet services and data are very expensive in the country leaving the public struggling to make communication,” he said at that meeting.
The country's telecommunications sector is developing, despite years of paralysis caused by a civil war, but service costs are becoming an issue.
Share