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Carte Blanche broadcast a segment on cell phone tariffs two Sundays ago. The main concern was the inter-connect charges which are heavily bloated compared to prices worldwide. Icasa is currently in talks with our service providers, and so hopefully we will see a resolution soon.

But regardless, I do believe that generally cell phone costs are very high, even though majority of our poorer population rely on them for communication. I think if we even fathomed the profits that the service providers make DAILY, we would be ill. Think about it, they set up the transmitters years ago, so basically they can just sit back and rake in the profits daily. Easy money.

So why are we happy with paying so much more than the rest of the world, even though South Africa was a worldwide pioneer in cell phone technology?

Well I would like to do something about it. I want the big guns out there to stop and take notice - that the days of taking consumers for a ride is over.

I'm suggesting picking one day a month as a 'Cell Free Day'. No mobile calls, no text messaging. No revenue for the service providers. I'll sooner sign onto their website and use my 10 free sms's a day.

Just one day a month, every month until they sit up and take notice. I'm dead keen.