UPDATE:  The proposed Electronic Communications Amendment Bill was withdrawn on 23 Nov 2011.

The Department of Communications published the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill on the 4th Nov 2011, for public comment, due 19 Dec 2011.  The Bill seeks to do a number of things, including -

- ensure that ICASA and the USAASA follow policy directions issued by the Minister (now, policy directions must only be considered)
- change the distinction between individual and class ECS licences to coin...
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ICASA published a notice on 23 August 2011 calling all licensees to submit information to it by 30 August 2011, on ownership and control issues, in order to assist ICASA in carrying out an audit of shareholding of licensees.  Although not indicated in ICASA's notice, the Standard Terms and Conditions of all licensees calls upon licensees to submit shareholding changes to ICASA within seven days of any such occurance.

For more information on this and other compliance issues in respect of licenc...
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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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ICASA published a second draft of "compliance manual" regulations on 20 December 2010, for public comment due 18 January 2011.  The compliance manual calls for no less than eight new reports that licensees will be required to submit to ICASA, if the regulations are enacted.  These reports include two that will be due quarterly, with respect to compliance with the E-rate regulations and code of conduct regulations.  Comments on these draft regulations are due by no later than 31 January 2011. ...
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Did you know that all licensees must provide a 50 percent discount to public schools and universities for Internet services, including connectivity charges, charges for equipment and charges for calls to an Internet service provider?  For more information, contact info@thornton.co.za.

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Did you know that all individual electronic communications service and electronic communications network service licensees must file tariffs with ICASA?  For more information, contact info@thornton.co.za.


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Wow, what a lot of noise about call termination rates!

Don't get me wrong, this noise is far better than the almost complete silence on the matter for the past decade.  My optimism says the mobile providers will reduce their call termination rates in accordance with the agreement announced by the Minister today.  Even greater optimism says that this will translate into a reduction in retail rates. 

However, this will not solve the real problems that exist.  ICASA needs to be able to regulate e...
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Lisa Thornton Inc welcomes the new Minister of Communications, Mr Siphiwe Nyanda and the new Deputy Minister, Dina Pule. 

The ANC's main election promise was to provide services to those that had up to now, been left out, including education, health care and housing.  Electronic communications is increasingly being seen as an essential service, much like water and electricity.  Although South Africa has not succeeded in providing universal service to electronic communications, the opportunity...
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