Ellipsis provides specialist regulatory and compliance advice
to the
electronic communications industry
Industry experience, ongoing involvement in regulatory processes and personal service
with an enduring sense of humour are the key elements of the Ellipsis offering.
Department of Communications Strategic Plan 2012 – 2017
Posted in : policy, snippets, Uncategorized
Department of Communications Strategic Plan for the fiscal years 2012 – 2017 & Annual Performance Plan for the fiscal year 2012-2013
Update on the Protection of Personal Information Bill
Posted in : miscellaneous, snippets, Uncategorized
Good news for those with an interest in a comprehensive legislative framework for the protection of personal information is that the Protection of Personal Information Bill (“the POPI Bill”) is nearing finalisation. The current status is that a Technical Committee appointed a year ago to do in-depth consideration of certain provisions has reported back and [...]
Updated list of class licence holders
Posted in : licensing, snippets
As it is required to do under the Electronic Communications Act, 2005, ICASA has published its annual list of holders of class electronic communications service (ECS) and class electronic communications network service (ECNS) providers. ICASA List of Class Licensees March 2012
Posted in : Open for comment, policy, snippets
South Africa has commenced another round of ICT policy development. While there is general agreement that the failure of the Department of Communications to update policy governing the sector since 1996 is harming industry, doubts remain as to the effectiveness of the current process. Minister Dina Pule has indicated that – following on from the [...]
Licensee compliance framework finalised
Posted in : licensing, snippets
[Post updated 29 April 2012: the date of implementation of the Compliance Manual Regulations has been pushed back to 2 July 2012. It appears to be ICASA's intention that the direct consequence is that the forms set out in the Regulations do not have to be submitted before this date, although, legalistically, the underlying obligations [...]
ICASA Spectrum Fees Workshop – 5 March 2012
Posted in : access, frequency, licensing, snippets
[29 April 2012: updated to provide ICASA presentations made at the workshop: 1 - Spectrum Fee Workshop Agenda 20120305 2 - Spectrum Fundamentals 20120305 3 - ETD Workshop - 05032012 EML prep 4 - Spectrum Fee Payment Process 20120126a 5 - Spectrum Fees 20120305a 6 - IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM LICENCE 20120305] [...]
Carrier Preselection Phase 1 Code of Conduct finalised
Posted in : access, Consumer Protection, snippets
[29 April 2012] ICASA has published the Code of Conduct for Carrier Pre-Selection Phase 1 in terms of the Carrier Pre-Selection Phase 1 Regulations published on 27 September 2010. The Code of Conduct was signed by the ICASA Chairperson on 18 April 2012 and published in the Government Gazette on 28 April 2012. Carrier Preselection [...]
Overview of electronic communications regulation in South Africa
Posted in : miscellaneous, resources, snippets
[13 March 2012] We have prepared a top-level overview of various aspects of electronic communications regulation and licensing in South Africa. This is intended as a starting point or primer for those interested in acquainting themselves with the regulatory environment in SA. Overview of Electronic Communications Regulation in South Africa 2012
Draft Spectrum Assignment Plans for the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands
Posted in : frequency, News, snippets
Update 5 March 2012: ICASA has withdrawn this process until further notice and pending the finalisation of the Minister’s policy directions. The following submissions were made to the “ghost deadline” of 29 February 2012: AppChat Broadband Infraco CDG Cell C City of Cape Town DBI ETV GSMA Kawuleza MNET MWEB Orbicom Qualcomm Sentech SKA Telkom [...]
Draft Policy Directions on high demand spectrum and the exploitation of the digital dividend
Posted in : frequency, News, policy, snippets
Update 20120201: A notice was published in today’s Government Gazette extending the period for comment to 29 February 2012. This will no doubt require ICASA to push out the dates for the initiation of its process once again. __ The Minister of Communications has published two draft policy directions for public comment. Once finalised the policy [...]
Hearings into Draft Underserviced Area Definition Regulations
Posted in : snippets, universal Access
Update 6 February 2012: Hearings now scheduled for 9 February 2012. Update 26 January 2012: these hearings have been postponed indefinitely as a result of the strike action at ICASA. According to a Media Release stakeholders will be informed of new dates in due course. Hearings will be held at ICASA on the 20th January 2012 [...]
Content regulation in a digitally-converged environment
Posted in : News, Open for comment, snippets, Uncategorized
ICASA has published an Issues Paper on the Review of the Broadcasting Regulatory Framework towards a Digitally Converged Environment (6MB .pdf). This is mainly focused on broadcasting but potentially touches on issues relevant to electronic communications service providersn such as Internet Service Providers when it covers the need to review content regulation on broadcasters given [...]
ICASA Notice – Shareholding Structure (IECS & IECNS)
Posted in : snippets, Uncategorized
ICASA has issued a notice in the Government Gazette published on 28 December 2011, requesting shareholding information from certain Individual licensees. The notice specifies 82 licensees who ICASA believes have yet to provide the shareholding information specified. These licensees have 14 days to submit the requested information or they will be referred to the [...]
ICASA releases Findings on Local Loop Unbundling Framework
Posted in : competition, ICASA, News, snippets
ICASA has released their findings on the recently ended Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) hearings. In general the outcome of the process is disappointing and seems to be in the form of meeting obstacles to LLU raised by Telkom as opposed to using the available tools to achieve LLU. Given the expectations of the industry after [...]
Posted in : snippets, Uncategorized
The Electronic Communications Amendment Bill gazetted on the 4th of November has been withdrawn by the Department of Communication. The Department cites the need “…to allow further consultation within government on the contents of the Bill” as the reason for the sudden about-face. Gazette 34774 (Withdrawal of the EC Amendment Bill 2011)
The Draft Electronic Communications Amendment Bill
Posted in : News, Open for comment, policy, snippets
The Department of Communications has gazetted a draft amendment to the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) of 2005. The bill aims to make changes to a wide range of items in the ECA. Included in the same notice is a memorandum with the objects and reasoning behind each of the proposed amendments, providing some insight into [...]
Recategorisation of Medium-Wave Frequencies
Posted in : frequency, snippets
ICASA has released a reasons document for the recategorisation of medium-wave frequencies. A determination has been made by ICASA so as to provide a regulatory framework of all spare MW radio frequency spectrum within the catergories designated as per the Electronic Communications Act No.36 of 2005. Also given are procedures and criteria for the awarding [...]
ICASA Annual Report 2010 – 2011
Posted in : competition, Consumer Protection, frequency, ICASA, licensing, News, snippets
ICASA has made available their Annual Report for the period ending 31 March 2011. The Report details ICASA’s efforts and progress over the last year in the South African regulatory environment. See below for some of the more noteworthy regulatory statistics from the past year. Frequency Issues and Type Approval Legal and the CCC [...]
Geographic Number Porting Process
Posted in : Numbering, snippets
The Number Portability Company (the NPC) has provided the following direction on how to register and attain accreditation with it for Geographic Number Porting (GNP) by ECNS licensees. How to register and gain accreditation for GNP Stage in the process Notes 1 Provide company documentation to the NPC Registered company name. Company registration and VAT [...]
Posted in : access, competition, snippets
Update September 2011: Below are links to the various submissions made by interested parties in response to the LLU discussion document. Broadband Infraco Cell C Commercial Workers’ Union (CWU) Internet Solutions ISPA MTN MWEB MyBroadband Neotel Paul Hjul South African Communications Union (SACU) Telkom Covering Letter, Telkom, Telkom Annexure A Vodacom June 2011: LLU [...]