The government has suspended telecommunication firms' new data bundles after they (the bundles) had raised a public uproar.
Earlier, all telecommunication firms had revised their bundles for voice calls, data and short messaging service as they sought to align them with new regulations as published by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).
In the process however, they (telcos) significantly raised data bundles. This raised a public uproar as subscribers vehemently opposed the new charges, with some describing them as 'outrageous' via social media platforms.
In response to the uproar, the government issued a statement later in the day, announcing the suspension of the new data charges until the matter gets resolved.
"The government has directed telcos to suspend the new prices for data bundles for a while as the issue is being sorted out," the head of corporate communications at TCRA, Mr Semu Mwakyanjala, told The Citizen.
The message was followed by a statement from the regulator, saying the suspension of data bundles was meant to give room for further discussions.