Sudan Telecommunication Firms Raise Internet Prices

A man holds his phone with restricted internet access social media platforms in Khartoum, Sudan January 1, 2019. (Reuters)

At a time when complaints persist regarding poor internet services in Sudan, telecommunication companies raised prices of monthly internet bundles by 15 percent.

In recent hours, subscribers were shocked by a huge hike in subscription prices of monthly bundles, without being given prior notice. Such practices are a condition that the National Telecommunication Corporation imposes on firms before granting them a license for a service.

Around five million out of 45 million citizens use the internet in Sudan.

Telecommunication firms did not comment on the new increase in prices and are only responding to subscribers through the answering machine.

Mohamed Hassan, head of Information and External Relations at the Software and Communications Division at the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, told Asharq Al-Awsat that raising internet prices without prior notice is a clear violation of telecom laws.

Internet services were blocked in Sudan from June 3 to July 7.

Meanwhile, lawyers and civil society organizations called on citizens who were affected by the shutdown to file lawsuits and demand compensations for the losses they incurred during this period.

Some consumer protection associations have already filed such lawsuits.

The Internet Companies and Applications Division at the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation expected compensations to its 52 companies alone to reach USD1.8 billion. The division said losses of companies and individuals working in the internet sector may reach more than SDG91 billion (around USD2 billion).

Ahmed Hassan, head of the Software Division at the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, told Asharq Al-Awsat there was a drop in e-payments transactions during the crisis. He noted that all companies operating in this field were affected, but they have yet to present figures of their losses.

The World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union estimated that the Sudanese people lost up to SDG2.03 billion (around USD45 million) per day during the internet shutdown.