Showing Tag: " spectrum" (Show all posts)

Communications Minister on Readiness for 4IT

Posted by LA Thornton on Monday, January 6, 2020,

The Minister of Communications announced several new initiatives and provided updates on others, in support of its readiness to lead the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) in South Africa.

1. The appointment (and later withdrawal) of an administrator (of a repurposed universal service agency) to implement digital migration, and repurposing the universal service fund to a 4IR fund

2. The appointment of an administrator (of a new technology company) to oversee government IT spend

3. The pending...

A flurry of activity at ICASA

Posted by LA Thornton on Wednesday, March 30, 2016,

ICASA has released a slew of government notices from March-April 2016, which include the following.

South African Music Regulations, 23 March 2016
South African Local Content Reasons Document - March 2016
Local Television Content Regulations, 23 March 2016
Increased fees associated with spectrum licences effective 1 April 2016
Amendment to the Guidelines Relating to Type Approval Framework to extend the time for ICASA to process type approval applications from 15 to 30 working days
Increased admin...

Neotel/Vodacom - ICASA holds hearings in a regulatory vacuum

Posted by LA Thornton on Thursday, December 18, 2014,

ICASA has published a notice of hearings to be held in the proposed transaction between Neotel and Vodacom on 15-16 January 2015. This notice follows a call for written comment on the proposed transaction in September 2014.

It is not certain whether these hearings concern only the service licences of Neotel or both the service and spectrum licences, as neither notice mentions provisions of the EC Act concerning spectrum.

It is also not certain under what authority the proceedings are taking...
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Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, 2012

Posted by LA Thornton on Wednesday, August 8, 2012,

The Minister of Communications has published the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, 2012 for comment due 29 August 2012.

Two classes of individual ECNS licences?

In the Memorandum on the objects of the Bill, one is led to believe that the amendment to section 20 of the Act would limit the rights of certain individual ECNS licensees in respect of gaining rights of way. However, upon examination of the proposed amendment, it appears that this would not be the result. The proposed amendme...
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Spectrum Regulations

Posted by LA Thornton on Tuesday, April 12, 2011,

ICASA has finally replaced the old Radio Regulations made prior to the Telecommunications Act, with the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations published on 31 March 2011. The Regulations set out application procedures (standard and extended) and forms and application fees. They also incorporate the spectrum licence exemption regulations and set out special provisions for services such as amateur radio, communal repeaters, burlar alarms, and citizen band services. It would appear that these "...
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Some Regulatory Priorities for 2010

Posted by LA Thornton on Monday, November 30, 2009,

In 2009, the Altech litigation concluded, resulting in the licensing by ICASA of hundreds of potential competitors to the dominant incumbents, Telkom, Vodacom and MTN.

Real competitiveness however relies on more than new licences. It requires an effective legislative and regulatory framework, among other things. I would like to take the opportunity of the year end to offer my thoughts on some regulatory priorities for 2010.

Key aspects of an effective regulatory framework include effectiv...
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