South Africa’s telecommunications regulator has imposed a multimillion-rand penalty on Session Telecoms Proprietary Ltd after finding that the company violated national rules governing the use of telephone numbering resources.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced that Session had been sanctioned following a complaint from mobile operator MTN, which alleged that the company was misusing numbering resources allocated by the regulator.

After a lengthy investigation spanning more than two years, ICASA’s Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) concluded that Session had contravened the country’s Numbering Plan Regulations.

The regulator has now imposed a R6 million fine, along with additional compliance measures aimed at preventing further violations.

MTN Complaint Triggered Investigation Into Numbering Practices

The dispute began in April 2023 when MTN lodged a formal complaint against Session, claiming that the telecoms provider was improperly using numbering resources assigned by ICASA.

According to ICASA, the allegations involved practices commonly linked to interconnect bypass activities, including:

• Calling Line Identification (CLI) manipulation;
• Call refilling; and
• SIM-boxing.

CLI manipulation, commonly known as caller ID spoofing, occurs when a caller disguises the true origin of a call by displaying false caller information.

SIM-boxing involves routing international calls through multiple SIM cards to make them appear as local calls, potentially reducing legitimate interconnection costs and bypassing regulated systems.

ICASA Finds Session Breached Numbering Regulations

Following hearings and investigations conducted between September 2023 and October 2025, the CCC submitted its findings to ICASA.

On 18 June 2026, the regulator approved the recommendations and confirmed that Session had breached the Numbering Plan Regulations.

ICASA found that Session had violated Regulation 6(3)(f), which prohibits the use of invalid numbers or numbers that have not been officially allocated to an operator.

The company was also found to have breached Regulation 6(3)(g) by failing to ensure that allocated numbers were being used efficiently and effectively.

The investigation further found that communications traffic was not being routed through MTN’s network in an efficient manner.

ICASA Warns Telecom Operators Over Misuse of National Resources

ICASA’s Numbering Plan Resources Committee chairperson Catherine Mushi said telephone numbering resources are a limited national asset that require responsible management.

“Numbering resources are a scarce national asset and must be used responsibly by licensed operators to ensure the reliable delivery of electronic communications services,” Mushi said.

The regulator stressed that proper management of numbering systems is essential for maintaining trust, security and reliability within South Africa’s telecommunications sector.

Why Session Received a R6 Million Fine

The CCC considered several factors when recommending the penalty, including:

• The seriousness and duration of the non-compliance;
• The possible financial benefit gained from the alleged misconduct; and
• Session’s level of cooperation during the investigation.

ICASA imposed a R3 million fine for each regulation breached, resulting in a total penalty of R6 million.

Additional Sanctions Imposed on Session Telecoms

Beyond the financial penalty, ICASA has introduced several corrective measures against Session.

The company must:

• Stop any further violations of the Numbering Plan Regulations;
• Comply with restrictions placed on affected numbering resources;
• Allow certain numbering resources to be withdrawn where necessary;
• Submit monthly compliance reports to ICASA for two years; and
• Undergo continued monitoring by the regulator.

ICASA said the measures are designed to protect South Africa’s electronic communications networks and prevent future misuse of numbering resources.

Regulator Sends Strong Message to Telecom Industry

ICASA said the decision demonstrates its commitment to enforcing regulatory standards and ensuring fair competition within the telecommunications sector.

The regulator added that misuse of numbering resources can undermine consumers, create unfair advantages between operators and weaken confidence in South Africa’s communications infrastructure.

The sanction against Session Telecoms serves as a warning to telecommunications providers that compliance failures can result in significant financial penalties and operational restrictions.