SOUTH African regulators have switched their approach to GratisTel, the Swedish firm looking to offer commercial-laden free telephone service in SA. This comes after Satra was on Tuesday reported to be planning to block a free domestic phone service planned by a Swedish firm with a local partner. The SA Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (Satra) says if GratisTel negotiates a commercial contract with Telkom, the government’s exclusivity agreement will not bar the sponsored service. Nape Maepa, Satra’s chair, argues that Satra is obliged to promote universal and affordable access to telecommunications. Maepa said if GratisTel uses the Telkom network and negotiates with the monopoly, free phone service could be a reality in South Africa.