In a last-minute decision, communications regulator Icasa has given telecommunications operators more time to implement its new consumer protection rules related to data services.

In a statement on Thursday evening, just hours before the end-user subscriber service charter regulations were to come into effect, Icasa said it would extend the deadline for implementation of some of the requirements by six weeks, to 12 April.

Icasa slightly tweaked the regulations earlier this month. It has now said it has received requests — it didn’t say from who — to suspend the implementation date for certain regulations relating to the opt-out of notification for depletion of voice, SMS and data services and the out-of-bundle usage requirements in the amended regulations.

“After careful consideration, Icasa decided to extend the date for the implementation of the above regulations to 12 April 2019,” it said.

“Icasa expects licensees to use this time to configure their systems and business processes in order to fully comply with the aforementioned regulations.”

However, it said that “to ensure that the spirit and intention of the amendments to the regulations are still retained, the transfer and rollover of unused data before expiry requirements as well as prohibition of defaulting an end user onto out-of-bundle charges upon depletion of data bundles as prescribed in the 2018 amendment regulations shall be applicable and are to be implemented with effect from 1 March 2019”.