(Ecofin Agency) - Last June, Burkina Faso's telecom regulator unveiled new terms for mobile telecom operators' offers, which were developed closely with consumer associations but rejected by the telecom companies.

The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Postal Services of Burkina Faso (ARCEP) announced earlier this week the suspension of the new terms applicable to mobile telecom operators' ongoing and promotional offers, which came into effect on September 13. The decision comes in response to an annulment appeal made by the three mobile telecom operators to the Council of State.

"The Council of State, in its decision on interim measures dated October 4, 2023, ordered the suspension of the implementation of the decision pending a ruling on the annulment appeals," the regulator explained in a statement.

Last June, ARCEP unveiled the conditions and terms applicable to ongoing and promotional offers by mobile telecom service operators in Burkina Faso. The measures include extending bonuses to all networks, temporarily blocking rather than deleting unused credits and bundles when they expire, progressively deducting benefits based on the shortest validity period, and granting a minimum period of 30 days for bundles of at least 1 GB.

This decision is based on recommendations from a workshop organized by the regulator in August 2022 with consumer associations. It also comes at a time when subscribers have been criticizing telecom operators for the high cost of their services, especially mobile internet.