• MTN South Sudan cuts service prices by 25%, minister says
• Government presses operators to further reduce internet costs
• ITU says mobile internet remains far above affordability threshold

MTN South Sudan has cut its service prices by 25%, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny said on Thursday. He urged the company to reduce prices further to improve affordability.

The announcement was made at a company-hosted event attended by industry stakeholders. “Each and every step the team has taken and every Milestone we have reached in 2025 whether it was around expanding our Network, improving service quality, advancing mobile money adoption or fostering digital inclusion. All of these have been made possible through your support and your collaboration,” MTN South Sudan Chief Executive Mapula Modibe said at the event.

The move follows recent talks between the minister and telecom operators on lowering internet costs. On Wednesday, November 26, an MTN delegation paid a courtesy visit to congratulate Ateny on his appointment, during which he requested a technical explanation for the company’s pricing structure. He said his ministry would hold further technical discussions with operators to identify ways to reduce costs.

Ateny has also met with executives from operators Zain and Digitel. He announced the creation of a technical committee to review telecom tariffs early next year and said the government would consider measures to ease cost pressures on mobile and internet service providers.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the monthly cost of 5GB of mobile internet accounted for 24.2% of South Sudan’s gross national income per capita in 2025. By comparison, the ratio is 5.32% in Africa and 1.38% globally. The ITU says the cost should not exceed 2% for a service to be considered affordable.

Isaac K. Kassouwi