MTN has once again hit back at Cell C in the ongoing mobile termination rate battle, saying that its \u201cWe\u2019re guilty\u201d ad campaign is in response to the virulent attack by Cell C on its brand and reputation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMTN reserves the right to dispel fallacies and inaccurate media statements made by Cell C following its decision to file papers against the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa,\u201d the company said in a press statement.<\/p>\n
This statement followed a tongue-in-cheek response to MTN\u2019s \u201cWe\u2019re guilty\u201d advertising<\/a>.<\/p>\n The operator noted that its initial ad campaign was not an attack on Cell C, saying that it is “fighting for the consumers who deserve a strong, reliable and progressive network, and a conducive business environment in which competition is fair.”<\/p>\n The full MTN statement following Cell C\u2019s latest response is provided below:<\/p>\n MTN believes that the decline in Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs) must be driven by a fair process and appropriate costing study ensuring MTRs are reflective of the costs incurred by all players in the market, including smaller players. MTN is of the view that the regulations do not meet these requirements and it has instituted legal proceedings against ICASA.<\/p>\n MTN has asked the Court to review what has happened and to set aside those parts of the Regulations which it finds are irregular. This is a right which is afforded to all companies which are affected by the actions of administrators.<\/p>\n The decision by MTN to launch the \u201cWe\u2019re guilty\u201d ad campaign is in response to the virulent attack by Cell C on its brand and reputation.<\/p>\n MTN reserves the right to dispel fallacies and inaccurate media statements made by Cell C following its decision to file papers against the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.<\/p>\n We sought to articulate the contribution that MTN has made in developing the ICT sector, the role it has and continues to play in socio-economic development, and the significant contribution MTN has made in accelerating access to telecommunications services to millions of South Africans.<\/p>\n Indeed MTN has made billions of Rands over the years, which it has ploughed back into the country in corporate social responsibility projects and in tax it pays to the fiscus. MTN has been at the forefront of lowering telecommunications costs through innovation and ground-breaking innovations such as PayasYouGo, MTN Zone, both a world first, and Mahala offerings.<\/p>\n The ad should not be construed as an attack, we are fighting for the consumers who deserve a strong, reliable and progressive network, and a conducive business environment in which competition is fair. We spelled out the truth about who we are and what we stand for. We are unashamedly pro-consumer, and we are unashamedly South African and shall continue to improve our services for our consumers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n MTN battle with Cell C intensifies<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Cell C slams MTN with new ad campaign<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on Cell C and MTN<\/h3>\n