ARCEP Introduces New Consumer Protection Rules for Mobile Services in Togo

Following a lengthy and inclusive consultation process involving mobile operators YAS Togo  and Moov Africa Togo,  alongside three consumer associations (LCT, ATC, and MMLK), the Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes (ARCEP)  has announced a series of consumer-focused regulatory reforms. The new measures address key issues including the carryover of unused voice and data bundles, improved accuracy in mobile internet billing, and an extension of SIM card validity periods.

Under the new rules, subscribers will now be able to recover unused voice and internet bundle volumes after expiration by re-subscribing to the same offer within a defined retention period. This retention window is set at 10 days for bundles with a validity of 10 days or less, and 30 days for bundles with a validity exceeding 10 days. With this move, Togo joins Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso as the only countries in the region to adopt such a regulation.

ARCEP has also revised charging rules for customers who subscribe to multiple bundles simultaneously. Under the new framework, consumption will be deducted first from the bundle with the nearest validity or retention expiry, ensuring more efficient use of purchased services and reducing unintended losses for consumers.

To improve fairness and transparency in mobile data billing, the regulator has mandated the use of the byte as the single unit of measurement for all internet data consumption. As the smallest unit of measurement, billing by the byte ensures that the data consumed corresponds exactly to the data charged. ARCEP noted that Togo is currently the only country in the sub-region to enforce this level of billing precision.

In a further consumer protection measure, ARCEP has extended the inactivity period after which an unused SIM card is deactivated from three months to six months. This change allows users to retain their SIM cards for longer periods of non-use without losing their line or any remaining communication credit, which remains protected as long as the SIM card stays active.

Collectively, these reforms are expected to reduce consumer concerns around abnormal bundle depletion and provide greater flexibility in managing SIM cards during extended periods of inactivity. ARCEP has confirmed that monitoring tools are already in place to ensure effective enforcement of the new measures.

Beyond usage and billing reforms, the decision also introduces stricter requirements around the transparency and readability of promotional offers, while reaffirming quality-of-service obligations for operators. ARCEP praised the constructive engagement of the mobile operators throughout the consultation process, noting that their openness made it possible to achieve significant progress toward improving the overall mobile services experience for consumers in Togo.