Communications regulator Icasa will make no changes to call termination rates for the next 12 months, it said at the weekend.

It had been expected to announce new rates by the end of September, when the current three-year glide path of reductions in the price of wholesale calls comes to an end.

Previous reductions in the rates, which operators charge each other to carry calls between their networks, have translated into lower retail prices for consumers as the smaller operators took advantage of the lower fees to challenge the bigger incumbents for market share.

The current glide path, which was due to expire on 30 September, was introduced in 2014.

“Icasa has received requests to extend the current glide path validity period owing to concerns regarding the time required to conduct a cost study in order to determine new termination rates for the next three years,” the regulator said in a statement.

“Icasa will publish a briefing note on its website by no later than 30 September 2017 outlining the consultative approach and timelines to determine new termination rates.” — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media