Ellipsis » ICASA

Draft Spectrum Assignment Plans for the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands

dom — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:40:59 +0000

Update 24 January 2012: ICASA has published a notice amending the timetable set out in the Draft ITA while also inserting network roll-out obligations for the three packages to be made available.

The new timeline:

Publication of the Spectrum Plan by 15 December 2011
Closing date for Comments by 29 February 2012
Public Hearings from 07 to 09 March 2012
Final Publication of the ITA on 21 March 2012
Closing date for applications on 26 April 2012
Finalize the Licensing Process on 31 May 2012

[No bets on whether this will be adhered to will be accepted.]

The following roll-out targets are specified:
Package 1 will be 70% geographic coverage in 5 years of which 50% must exclude Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban metros.
Package 2 and 3 will be 50% population coverage in four years.

Original post 15 December 2011
ICASA has signalled its intention to have another bash at assigning available spectrum in the 2.6GHz band and it is a matter of some significance that they get it right this time and that further delays do not occur (the process started in 2006). The National Planning Commission has specifically highlighted the urgent need to make productive use of available spectrum to facilitate meeting social and economic development objectives.

Initial indications are that they on the right track and that their intentions are squarely aligned with those of the Minister of Communications.

Comment is due by 29 February 2012.

Draft Spectrum Assignment Plan for the radio frequency range 790 – 862 MHz (800 MHz) and 2500 – 2690 MHz (2.6 GHz)

For a good overview try Techcentral.

ICASA Notice – Shareholding Structure (IECS & IECNS)

david — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:33:37 +0000

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 Complaints and Compliance Committee (“CCC”) for non-compliance.

This information is to be submitted before 16h00 on 18 January 2012.
Should you require any assistance with this please contact Sumaiyah at sam@ellipsis.co.za

Ellipsis also offers a Regulatory Compliance Service. See here for further information.

ICASA Notice re Shareholding Information Required December 2011

ICASA releases Findings on Local Loop Unbundling Framework

david — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:47:57 +0000

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 the hearings, this is indeed an opportunity to make material inroads into this particular issue gone wanting. We have little faith in ICASA’s abilities to meet the further deadlines which it has imposed on itself (from years of consistent disappointment in meeting its own targets and sector expectations) .

Given the concerns raised during the hearings it is difficult to understand why it should require until November 2012 to make the bitstream product available to the market; as it is common knowledge that Telkom presently has the capability of rolling out such a solution. It appears that the findings document is the result of a compromise solution hammered out between ICASA and Telkom – Telkom has agreed to look at IPC pricing and bitstream in exchange for ICASA initiating a process looking at unbundling wireless access networks.

Update: ICASA has had its Findings Note published in the Government Gazette.

ICASA LLU Findings Note

Ellipsis Regulatory Compliance Service

dom — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:22:04 +0000

We have launched a compliance service aimed at assisting holders of electronic communications services (ECS) and electronic communications network services (ECNS) licensees to comply with ICASA regulation applicable to their licences. ICASA indicated in July 2011 that they would commence with the enforcement of the regulatory regime and would be referring non-compliant licensees to the Complaints and Compliance Commission (CCC).

More information: Ellipsis Regulatory Compliance Service

ICASA Notification on the Exemption Process as per the Consumer Protection Act

dom — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:57:26 +0000

ICASA has given notice to licensees that it has established a Council Committee with the mandate to consider section 5(3) of the CPA and provide advice to Council. ICASA made it clear that it will undertake a consultative process before making a final determination on an application for exemption.

ICASA Notification on the Exemption Process as per the Consumer Protection Act No 68 of 2008

Section 5(3) of the CPA:

(3) A regulatory authority may apply to the Minister for an industry-wide exemption from one or more provisions of this Act on the grounds that those provisions overlap or duplicate a regulatory scheme administered by that regulatory authority in terms of—
(a) any other national legislation; or

(b) any treaty, international law, convention or protocol.

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act 13 of 2000

admin — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:18:24 +0000

To provide for the establishment of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa; to provide for the dissolution of the Independent Broadcasting Authority and the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority; to transfer the functions of the latter authorities to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa; to amend the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act, 1993, the Telecommunications Act, 1996, and the Broadcasting Act, 1999; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

ICASA Act as amended

Note on inquiries held under section 4B of the ICASA Act

ICASA's Findings regarding allocation of scarce frequency June 2008

admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:44:04 +0000

ICASA have issued out a press release calling for comments on their Findings Document pertaining to the allocation of frequency spectrum where demand outstrips supply. Although it is not clear what status these comments will have (given that they were requested by press release rather than general notice in the Government Gazette) those who want to have their say should do so before 11 August 2008.

Download ICASA’s Findings regarding allocation of scarce frequency June 2008 (PDF)