Lyca Mobile, a prominent virtual telecommunication mobile network, recently ceased its operations in South Africa after a six-year stint in the country
The telecom giant has strongly advised its subscribers to promptly transfer their mobile numbers to alternative telecommunication networks to avert the potential loss of their numbers.
The termination of Lyca Mobile's services in South Africa has had a profound impact on its subscribers, rendering them incapable of making voice calls, sending texts, or accessing internet services using Lyca Mobile data.
Having positioned itself as the largest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) globally, Lyca Mobile officially declared its departure through its website.
According to a statement on its official website, Lyca Mobile mentioned that the MVNO would cancel any remaining credit in the Lyca Mobile accounts. Although users have the option to request a refund by reaching out to customer support, those who switch to a different operator without doing so will forfeit their eligibility for a refund, as reported by Techpoint Africa.
Lyca Mobile's exit has left more than 16 million former customers urgently seeking new service providers. The company had initially entered the South African market in 2017 with optimistic expectations, leveraging Cell C's network infrastructure and targeting a burgeoning mobile user base.
Industry experts speculate that intense competition, a challenging economic climate, and a cyberattack in October 2023, which led to service disruptions for millions of customers globally, may have collectively contributed to Lyca Mobile's abrupt withdrawal.
The abrupt closure has resulted in immediate disruptions, with Lyca's South African network no longer operational. Former subscribers are experiencing a lack of access to calls, texts, and mobile data. Lyca Mobile did set a deadline of January 9 for customers to port their numbers to other networks, mitigating the risk of permanent number loss.
