Tag: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

From smoke signals and homing pigeons, long-distance communications have come a long way – today telecom platforms and solutions have transformed how organisations and individuals share voice, data, video and information. The world has moved beyond the physical and into the digital with solutions that allow for clear, always-on, and accessible communications.

The Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, 2022, which introduces a number of significant amendments to the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the ECA), has been published. Interested parties have until 23 July to submit written comments regarding the bill.

The Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, 2022 (the Bill), has been published for comment and aims to introduce an array of significant amendments to the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (ECA).

Since the late 1700s manufacturing has transformed economies and societies. The key element that kept it going and thriving is no more than innovation and smart design. With manufacturing making up close to 12% of South Africa’s GDP, there’s a solid case to make regarding the value of innovation.

In March 2022, the Department of Communications, through ICASA, began auctioning off available spectrum to bidders, largely telecoms corporations. This auction netted more than R14 billion for the national fiscus and will hasten the roll-out of critical digital connectivity across the country while creating numerous job opportunities, particularly within the media and film industry.

To assess official policy’s socio-economic impact on the mobile telecommunication sector, we tapped Christoph Klein’s technical experience. The viability of offering services on a mobile radio-telecommunication network depends on the availability of electromagnetic spectrum in a band of frequencies which can be used for transmitting signals, and the cost of developing a network to use that band.

Fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband is no longer a future technology - it’s here and is already available in limited key metropolitan areas in South Africa. The country, with its limited internet access and infrastructure, high data costs and ailing economy, can benefit in multiple ways from 5G.

The internet is disruptive by nature. It has transformed the way societies and economies work, communicate and play, businesses operate, and how governments deliver services to citizens. Digital technologies are paving the way forward for rapid innovation, economic growth, and job creation.

Telecommunications and Broadcasting Regulator ICASA’s justification for the imposition of license fees for COVID-19 emergency spectrum does not stand up to scrutiny. In April, Regulator ICASA released the emergency spectrum to incumbent licensees in five different frequency bands valid until three months after termination of the South Africa’s COVID-19 national state of disaster or 30 November 2020 (whichever occurs first), for which carriers and the general public praised the SA Government.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) released the long-awaited Invitation-to-Apply (ITA) for both the international mobile telecommunications (IMT) spectrum, also known as high-demand spectrum, and the wireless open-access network (WOAN) on 2 October 2020.