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[5 November 2024] The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies has published a draft policy direction for comment. This relates to phasing out emergency short codes 10177, 10111 and 107 so that there is a single 112 national public emergency number.

Draft Policy Direction on a single emergency number

The draft policy direction also recognises that plans to establish “112 Emergency Centres” were not implemented and that “electronic communications network service licensees use their own communications centres where the 112 – emergency number is routed to while others use Automatic Voice Response (AVR) to route the call to the relevant destination”. It therefore suggests that the regulations should be amended to remove references to and dependencies on 112 Emergency Centres.

Actual text of the policy direction:

2. Policy Direction

2.1 The Authority is hereby directed, in terms of section 3(2) of the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005) (the Act) to consider phasing out the 10177, 10111 and 107 emergency numbers including the amendment of the Regulations published in Government Gazette No. 31230, General Notice No. 862 of 11 July 2008 for this purpose, to ensure that the 112 number becomes the exclusive national public emergency number.

Comment is due by 30 November 2024. Submissions may be emailed to mpaul@dcdt.gov.za, for the attention of Mr. T Ngobeni, Deputy Director-General : ICT Infrastructure Development and Support.

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[13 April 2024] Public hearings on draft amendments to the Numbering Plan Regulations 2016, intended to amend the prescribed period of inactivity for numbers, will take place at ICASA’s head office on 17 November 2024.

ICASA to hold public hearings on amended draft Numbering Plan Regulations Advisory

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[21 September 2023] ICASA has published draft amendments to the Numbering Plan Regulations 2016, which amend the prescribed period of inactivity for numbers.

Draft Numbering Plan Fourth Amendment Regulations

Explanatory Memorandum

Written representations on the draft Regulations must be submitted by no later than 2 November 2023. This can be done by e-mail to: ELetlape@icasa.org.za.

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[17 September 2023] A third set of amendments to the Numbering Plan Regulations 2014 has been published and came into effect on 15 September 2023.

Numbering Plan Third Amendment Regulations 2023

The objective of the amendments is to:

  • Correct an error made to ensure that the 116 short code for child protection is properly provided for in the Regulations
  • Allow for further consultation on matters relating to activation, deactivation, re-assignment and recycling of numbers

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[4 May 2023] ICASA has published the Numbering Plan Second Amendment Regulations, 2023.

Numbering Plan Second Amendment Regulations, 2023

Reasons Document

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[13 June 2022] ICASA will hold public hearings on the draft Numbering Plan Second Amendments Regulations on 23 and 24 June 2022.

Public Hearings: Draft Amendment Numbering Plan Regulations, 2016

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[31 May 2022] Below are links to the submissions received by ICASA in response to the draft Amendment Numbering Plan Regulations, 2016:

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[23 March 2022] ICASA has given notice of its intention to amend the Numbering Plan Regulations, 2016.

Draft Amendments to the Numbering Plan Regulations March 2022

Written representations on the draft Regulations must be submitted by no later than 11 May 2022. This can be done by e-mail to: ELetlape@icasa.org.za and TKhomo@icasa.org.za.

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[3 February 2022] The date for the switchover to the 116 short code as the exclusive way to access toll-free child helpline services has been postponed again to 15 March 2021.

Notice extending use of the toll free number for child helpine services [2 February 2021]

ICASA has encouraged licensees to implement a voice recorded message advising the public of the imminent changeover to the 116 short code (such messages to be played on calls to both numbers).

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[19 January 2021] ICASA has deferred the termination of the current Child Helpline Service Hotline (0800 05 55 55) – previously 15 January 2021 – to 15 March 2021, at which point the harmonised short code 116 per the amended Regulations will take effect. Licensees are requested to continue to route traffic to the existing number in the interim. Further details can be found in the ICASA statement below:

Media Release

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[16 April 2020] ICASA has published the Numbering Plan Amendment Regulations, 2020 which will come into force three months from the date of publication in the government gazette (15 April 2020).

Numbering Plan Amendment Regulations, 2020

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[3 March 2019] ICASA has published draft amendments to the Numbering Plan Regulations 2016 intended to harmonise use of the short code 116 for child helpline services.

Draft Numbering Plan Amendment Regulations 2018: Short Code 116 for child helpline services

Written submissions are due by 12 April 2019 and can be sent to tkhomo@icasa.org.za.

This initiative flows from a resolution taken by the Communications Regulatory Association of Southern Africa (“CRASA”) to the effect that member states consider providing free of charge communication services to persons calling child helpline services.

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[21 May 2018] ICASA has requested that all relevant licensees provide progress reports on the migration of machine related services to the 14-digit numbering block specified for this purpose in the interval leading up to the 28 September 2018 deadline. The three reports should adhere to the format as per the Notice below and should be submitted by 16h00 on 31 May, 20 July and 7 September 2018, respectively.

Machine Related Service Migration Progress Reports

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[30 March 2017] ICASA has published an amendment to the Numbering Plan Regulations 2016 which extends the deadline for migration of machine related services to the 14-digit numbering block specified for this purpose to 28 September 2018.

Numbering Plan Amendment Regulations 2017

The amendment came into force on 27 March 2017.

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[20 February 2017] ICASA has published an explanatory memorandum setting out the reasons for the adoption of the final Regulations on the Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services.

Reasons Document Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services 17 February 2017

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[7 November 2016] ICASA have published the finalised Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services.

ICASA Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services 2016

The Code of Conduct came into force on 4 November 2016. These are regulations under the Electronic Communications Act which apply to all electronic communications network services (ECNS) and electronic communications services (ECS) licensees.

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[30 March 2016] ICASA has published the Numbering Plan Regulations 2016.

Numbering Plan Regulations 2016

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[30 March 2016] ICASA will be holding public hearings on the Draft Regulations on a Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services on 31 March 2016 at its head office in Sandton.

Schedule for Presentations on Draft PRS Code of Conduct

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[6 March 2016] Below are links to the submissions received by ICASA in response to the Draft Regulations on a Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services.

Cell C

ISPA

MTN

NAB

Neotel

Telkom

Vodacom

WASPA

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[20 January 2015] ICASA will hold public hearings in respect of the draft Numbering Plan Regulations and the Erratum thereto on the 8th and 9th of February.

Public Hearings Draft Numbering Plan Regulations

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[29 December 2015] ICASA has published a draft code of conduct intended to set out minimum standards applicable to the provision of a premium rated service.

Draft Regulations on a Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services

Explanatory Document – Draft Regulations for a Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services

Comments are due by 16h30 on 12 February 2016 and may be submitted to Ms Tumishang Makhafola of the Numbering Division, per email: TMakhafola@icasa.org,za (Cc: numberingapplications@icasa.org.za).

A premium rated service is defined as:

“Premium rated service” means a service accessible by means of premium rated numbers irrespective of the originating electronic communications network used, whereby the service charged at a higher rate than a standard rate service (nominal rate based on an end-user’s billing plan) and in some instances where a portion of the charge is passed to a premium rated service provider.

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[15 November 2015] ICASA is seeking input from the public on proposed amendments to its draft Numbering Plan Regulations 2015.

Notice regarding Errata in the Draft Numbering Plan Regulations 2015

Comments are due by 16h30 on 3 December 2015 and may be sent in Microsoft Word format to Mr Mokibelo Maake by email to mmaake@icasa.org.za & cc:numberingapplications@icasa.org.za

The proposed amendments relate to

  • the addition of a definition of “bulk SMS/MMS service”:

“Bulk Short Message Service (SMS)\ Multi Media Service (MMS) service” means a subset service of Machine Related services (MRS) which comprises of communication, sent in large volumes, that originates from a device or machine to persons;”

  • The addition of regulations which state that Bulk SMS/MMS services offered from previously allocated numbers are exempt from the migration to machine-related services (MRS). All future assignments for bulk SMS/MMS services, that extend beyond the numbering capacities reserved and provisioned by providers, must be in the designated numbering range for MRS.
  • The addition of codes for accessing government services

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[26 August 2015] ICASA has published a notice delaying the date for compliance with the toll free framework, premium rate service code of conduct and the migration of machine related services. No firm future date has been provided.

Extension for compliance with toll free, premium rated, machine related services requirements of Numbering Plan Regulations

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (“the Authority”) hereby gives notice postponing the implementation dates as specified in the General Notice number 852 of 2014.

The new implementation timelines of regulations (24), (25) and (26) of the Numbering Plan Regulations, GG 35737 will be communicated by the Authority in due course, pending the finalisation of the draft Numbering Plan Regulations and the Premium Rate Services Code of Conduct.

ICASA had previously extended the deadline for compliance with the toll free framework and premium rate service code of conduct to 31 July 2015 and the deadline for compliance with the migration to machine related services to 31 December 2015.

Extension for compliance with toll free, premium rated, machine related services requirements of Numbering Plan Regulations (October 2014)

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[27 June 2015] ICASA has published the draft Numbering Plan Regulations 2015 for comment.

Draft Numbering Plan Regulations 2015

Draft Application form for telecommunications numbers or codes

Explanatory document for the Numbering Plan Regulations 2015

Written representations must be submitted by no later than 16h30 on 07 August 2015 by post, hand delivery, facsimile transmission or electronic mail (in Microsoft Word) for the attention of:
Mr Mokibelo Maake
Project Leader
Facsimile: (011) 566 3704
Telephone: (011) 566 3703
Electronic mail: mmaake@icasa.org.za;

Related post:

Numbering Plan Regulations 2012