By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Session Telecoms (Pty) Ltd
has announced plans to challenge a decision by the Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa (ICASA) that imposed a R6 million administrative fine
and additional regulatory sanctions over alleged breaches of the country’s
Numbering Plan Regulations.
The telecommunications
operator said it has instructed its legal representatives to seek a review of
the ruling, which was adopted by the ICASA Council on 18 June 2026 following
recommendations from the regulator’s Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC).
The ruling followed a
complaint submitted by MTN against Session Telecoms, with the CCC finding that
the company had contravened two provisions of the Numbering Plan Regulations.
ICASA subsequently imposed two separate R3 million fines, alongside measures
including the barring and withdrawal of certain numbers, 24 months of mandatory
reporting, and continued regulatory monitoring.
Session Telecoms said it
disagrees with key aspects of both the findings and the sanctions imposed,
adding that it believes there are grounds to challenge the decision through the
appropriate legal process.
“We respectfully disagree
with material aspects of both the findings and the sanctions imposed,” said
Hanro Wentzel of Session Telecoms. “Having obtained advice from Senior Counsel,
we believe there are substantial grounds to challenge the decision.”
The company said it would
allow the legal process to take its course and would not disclose the specific
grounds of its review application while the matter remains before the relevant
authorities.
Session Telecoms maintained
that it cooperated with ICASA throughout the investigation and reaffirmed its
commitment to complying with telecommunications regulations.
In addition to challenging
the ruling, Session Telecoms has called on ICASA to initiate public hearings
into telecommunications fraud, describing the issue as a broader industry
challenge requiring coordinated action.
The company said practices
such as interconnect bypass and manipulation of calling line identification
affect multiple operators and consumers, arguing that the problem cannot be
addressed by a single company alone.
“Interconnect bypass and the
manipulation of calling line identification are serious problems that affect
every operator and, ultimately, all South African consumers,” Wentzel said.
Session Telecoms said a
comprehensive review should examine the scale of telecommunications fraud in
South Africa, its impact on consumers and possible solutions involving all
industry stakeholders.
The company added that fraud
involving inbound international routes represents only one aspect of a wider
challenge, with consumers potentially affected at different stages of the
telecommunications call chain.
Session Telecoms said it
remains willing to participate in any sector-wide engagement initiated by ICASA
to address telecommunications fraud and improve consumer protection.
The company provides
wholesale voice and interconnection services in South Africa and operates under
Electronic Communications Service (ECS) and Electronic Communications Network
Service (ECNS) licences issued by ICASA.
