Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)RegulationsNumbering Plan Amendment Regulations, 2020Reasons Document: Numbering Plan Fourth Amendment Regulations, 20262. Background |
| 2.1. | On 29 March 2023 the Authority published Numbering Plan Second Amendment Regulations 2023 (“the Regulations, 2023”) to include aspects relating to the churn, inactivity period, quarantine period and notification for deactivation of an assigned mobile number in the effort to standardise the recycling period for mobile numbers. |
| 2.2. | However, upon publication of the Regulations, 2023 the Authority received submissions which reflected that although the principle of standardising the recycling period was accepted, concerns were raised regarding the period of inactivity. |
| 2.3. | The Authority embarked on a consultation process regarding the recycling period of mobile numbers in the form of the Draft Amendment Regulations, 2023 and a further consultation in the form of the Draft Amendment Regulations, 2025 |
| 2.4. | By the closing date of the submissions (4 July 2025), the Authority had received five (5) written submissions in response to the published Draft Amendment Regulations, 2025, from: |
| (a) | Cell C Limited; |
| (b) | FNB Connect; |
| (c) | Mobile Telephone Networks (Pty) Ltd (“MTN”); |
| (d) | Telkom SA SOC Ltd (“Telkom”); and |
| (e) | Vodacom (Pty) Ltd (“Vodacom”). |
| 2.5. | The reasons outlined below are a culmination of the abovementioned consultation processes which have informed the final amendments as contained in the Regulations. |
| 2.6. | The Authority does not intend to reiterate its preliminary views as contained in its explanatory memorandum to the Draft Amendment Regulations, 2025 (“explanatory memorandum”). As such, the reasons outlined below are specifically in response to the comments made by stakeholders in the further consultation process. |