[5 March 2012] ICASA has withdrawn this process until further notice and pending the finalisation of the Minister’s policy directions.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:

[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.