South African operators renew push to charge streaming and online platforms

South Africa’s mobile operators are again arguing that large online platforms should help pay for the networks they rely on.

Operators say streaming and other over-the-top (OTT) services generate heavy data traffic and profit from their users, while leaving local carriers to fund and maintain the underlying infrastructure. They want some form of financial contribution from OTT players, reviving a long-running dispute over who should bear the cost of expanding and operating telecoms networks in the country.