Who we are
Overview
Ellipsis Regulatory Solutions (“Ellipsis”) is a niche consultancy formed in 2007 as a provider of specialised legal advice and services to the electronic communications (telecommunications), broadcasting and related industries.
The central feature of the services provided by Ellipsis is the demystification of a complex area of law and its distillation into simple, practical advice. Electronic communications law is a blend of law, economics, engineering and policy which is further complicated by the rapid pace of change in information and communication technology, creating significant challenges for industry players.
Ellipsis is involved at all stages of the communications law or regulation-making process and liaises closely with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) on an ongoing basis.
Professionals
Dominic Cull specialises in regulatory issues in the electronic communications industry, acting as the regulatory advisor to, inter alia, the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) and the Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA). He is also a long-standing independent adjudicator for the Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) with an advanced understanding of legal issues relevant to the WASP and mobile content industry.
Dominic has extensive experience in dealing with ICASA, the Department of Communications (DoC), the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications (PPCC) and the development and enforcement of the regulatory framework under the Electronic Communications Act. He also lectures electronic communications law at masters’ level at the University of Cape Town.
Sumaiyah Makda is an attorney with corporate experience who works closely with ICASA with regard to licence applications and registrations, number applications and frequency applications. Sumaiyah has an LLB and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cyber Law (2005) and is an Admitted Notary Public. She holds a Master’s Degree in Information Communication Technology Law at the University of Cape Town.
Andrew Marshall specialises in commercial law relating to ICT. He is also an adjudicator for several industry bodies, including WASPA. His other specialities include software law and the intellectual property aspects of ICT law.
Andrew recently spent a year in Johannesburg where he assisted with the contract management on several of Accenture’s larger ICT engagements.
Andrew obtained a BA LLB at the University of Cape Town and was admitted as an attorney, notary and conveyancer in 1999. He then obtained a Microsoft Certified Solutions Provider qualification and thus armed arrived in London when the dot-com bubble was just about to burst. After some three years as a computer programmer in London, Andrew returned to Cape Town where the law re-captured him, and he specialised in the ICT field. In 2005 Andrew completed an LLM in e-law from the University of Cape Town.
Services
Services incorporate all aspects of electronic communications law and regulation, including the provision of advice and opinions on regulatory and electronic communications licensing issues and the making of representations and submissions to ICASA and other bodies.
Clients
Ellipsis represents some 280 licensees either directly or indirectly through industry associations such as ISPA and WAPA. Major clients include ISPA, WAPA, WASPA, TENET (Tertiary Education and Research Network of South Africa), FirstRand Bank, MTN Business and MWEB.
Details
Ellipsis Regulatory Solutions cc
CK Number: CK2004/113957/23
Physical Address: Unit C14, Westlake Square, Tokai, Cape Town
Postal Address: Postnet Suite #410, Private Bag X4, Sun Valley, 7985
Sole member: Dominic Cull BBusSci LLM (ICT Law)
VAT Number: 4470251572
BEE Rating: Automatic Level 4 Compliance Status (Micro-enterprise)
Tel. 021 701 2512
Fax: 086 540 4953
Web: www.ellipsis.co.za