The telecommunication sector in South Sudan has hit a critical breaking point. Without immediate intervention, mobile network operators (MNOs) have warned they will be forced to scale down operations a move that would risk severe service disruptions and cut off vital connectivity for citizens across the country.
According to the National Communication Authority (NCA) Director General, Mr. Rizig Dominic Samuel, operators are battling a perfect storm of rising operational costs. The adjustments are driven by a few hard economic realities:
- Currency & Inflation: The rapid depreciation of the South Sudan Pound (SSP) paired with steep domestic inflation.
- Energy Costs: Global spikes in fuel and energy prices, which directly impact the cost of keeping network towers running.
- Maintenance Barriers: Extremely limited access to the hard foreign currency needed to import equipment, upgrade systems, and maintain infrastructure from abroad.
- Keeping Pace: The critical need to continuously invest in networks to meet evolving global communication standards.
To prevent a total collapse in service quality, Mr Rizig Dominic Samuel says NCA is stepping in to manage these adjustments balancing the economic survival of our networks with the need to keep South Sudan connected.
However, many people are left wondering how they will cope with these new costs, given the country’s tough economic situation. Is a phased hike truly sustainable, and does it actually protect consumers? The changes are scheduled to roll out in stages, with the first phase taking effect today, June 26, 2026, at 12:00 AM.
As a consumer, what are your thoughts on this? How do you plan to manage your daily data and talk time under these new rates?