icasa
SA’s Communication Regulator Names New Acting CEO as Former Boss Jumps to MTN
Advocate Norman Gidi, newly appointed acting CEO of Icasa. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has announced the appointment of Norman Gidi as its acting CEO, effective 1 September 2022. This comes as current boss Willington Ngwepe departs to serve in a top position at MTN Group. According to a statement by Icasa, Gidi will assume leadership of the regulator until the end of November, or until a permanent appointment is made. Former CEO Ngwepe is expected to leave Icasa on 31 August, following his resignation. Ngwepe has been appointed to serve as MTN’s chief of staff in the office of Group CEO Ralph Mupita. He had been at Icasa for the last 8 years, joining first as COO. Incoming boss Gidi has a longer tenure at Icasa under his belt, joining the public regulat...
South Africa Could See Cheaper International Calls Thanks to ICASA
Sourced from PC Mag The Internet Service Providers’ Association of SA (ISPA) says that it welcomes moves by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) to conduct a new ‘cost modelling exercise’ with regards to voice call termination rates and to introduce curbs on charges from local voice providers for terminating calls from outside of South Africa. The result is likely to be cheaper overseas calls and much-reduced phone fraud, says the Association representing over 200 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) members, many of which provide voice services. What are Call Termination Rates and how do they work: Call termination rates are the fees telecoms networks across the world levy on each other to ensure calls originally placed on another network can reach – or terminate – on their...
Andile Ngcaba’s inc. to Acquire SA’s Syrex
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Telkom & ICASA Settle Lawsuit Out of Court
Sourced from PC Mag South African semi-private telco group Telkom and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) today reached an out-of-court settlement bringing an end to the high court litigation over the licensing of the high-demand spectrum. According to the settlement agreement, ICASA will commence with the licensing of the spectrum that remains unassigned in the auction by no later than 30 June 2022 with the licensing process set to be concluded within ICASA’s current financial year. According to a press release, ICASA has undertaken that it will have regard for the outcomes of the recently completed auction, in its licensing of the unassigned 800 MHz. According to Telkom Group CEO, Serame Taukobong, the settlement addresses Telkom’s principal complaints: the r...
4 Important Things You Need to Know About ICASA’s Auction Tomorrow
After several years of delays, cancellations, court cases and the setting of further and further deadlines, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is finally set to auction access to SA’s much-coveted spectrum for mobile broadband services. Two auctions will be held – one on 8 March and another on 10 March. The second auction is considered the “main” auction. Here are 4 things you need to know about tomorrow’s ICASA auction: The Opt-In Phase Auction The first highly-anticipated auction will be held on Tuesday 8 March with every big name telecom in the country lining up to take a seat at the table. For the last several weeks, ICASA has conducted mock auctions and a bidder seminar to ensure that potential participants are comfortable with the bidding process. Accord...
South Africans Lash Out After MultiChoice Removes RT on DStv
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Telkom Takes South African Regulator to Court
Telkom has filed an application asking the Gauteng High Court to review and set aside the Invitations To Apply (ITAs) published by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) on 10 December 2021. The application includes an urgent interdict to prevent ICASA from processing any applications until the review is heard. Telkom has serious difficulties with ICASA’s decision to again include sub 1 GHz spectrum in the intended auction. This band is currently the subject of a legal challenge brought by e-tv. The outcome of the legal proceedings, set to be heard starting on 14 March 2022, will have a material impact on the availability of spectrum in this band. According to Telkom’s Group Executive: Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, Dr. Siyabonga Mahlangu, the timing...
ICASA Sets New Deadline for Controversial Spectrum Auction
Sourced from PC Mag Last month, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s communications regulator, announced that it would not be publishing invitations to apply (ITA) to participate in the highly anticipated auction of high-demand spectrum in South Africa, effectively postponing the auction. ICASA said that the move was made to avoid lengthy court battles against several litigators that had issues with how ICASA was handling the auction. The regulator likewise withdrew an ITA for the licensing of the planned wholesale open-access network (WOAN). Now, following more than a decade of delays and legal issues, ICASA has announced a new timetable for the auction of its high-demand spectrum in the country. According to Media24, SA’s high data prices (some ...
Benefits & Challenges of Harnessing 5G in South Africa
Fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband is no longer a future technology – it’s here and is already available in limited key metropolitan areas in South Africa. The country, with its limited Internet access and infrastructure, high data costs and ailing economy, can benefit in multiple ways from 5G. However, there are also some issues that South Africa needs to deal with as communication service providers (CSPs) gear themselves for the 5G era and maximise the value the technology can bring. A recent study by IT services and consulting company Accenture, titled The Future Home in the 5G Era, opens a window into consumer lives in a 5G world and offers a roadmap for service providers to make hyperconnected 5G living a reality when we need it most. Globally, the value of access to information...
ICASA Cancels Spectrum Auction in Attempt to Avoid Lengthy Court Battle
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s communications regulator, has announced that it will not be publishing invitations to apply (ITA) to participate in the long-awaited auction of high-demand spectrum in South Africa. ICASA says that the move was made to avoid a lengthy court battle against several litigators that had issues with how ICASA was handling the auction. The regulator is likewise withdrawing an ITA for the licensing of the planned wholesale open-access network (WOAN), pending court approval. “ICASA has now decided to consent to an order setting aside its decision to publish the invitations to apply (ITAs) in order to avoid a long, drawn-out litigation, the effect of which would only be to delay further the licensing of high-demand spec...
South Africa’s Spectrum Debacle – What is Going On?
Sourced from Business Tech Recently, MTN issued a warning that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)’s decision to take back the emergency temporary radio frequency spectrum it opened to the country’s telecoms in April 2020 at the onset of the pandemic would lead to a “digital load shedding” in SA. ICASA is currently planning to close off the spectrum on 30 November 2021. The authority initially released the spectrum in emergency conditions last year to meet a spike in demand for broadband services in the country stemming from the Level 5 total lockdown implemented to curb COVID-19 infections. As more people were required to work from home, more spectrum was necessary to accommodate the switch. Now, according to Jacqui O’Sullivan, MTN SA’s executive for corporate...
Vodacom SA Launches 5G in Northern Cape with ICASA’s Temporary Spectrum
Vodacom Central Region has become the first network provider to launch a 5G mobile network in Kimberly, Northern Cape province of South Africa. The new 5G network supports both mobile and fixed wireless access services. Customers of the carrier with 5G enabled devices, and within a 5G coverage area, are now able to access the new 5G network in Northern Cape province. In May 2020, Vodacom switched on South Africa’s first live 5G mobile network in three cities – Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. This network supports both mobile and fixed wireless services and is currently available in Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces. To launch the 5G network in Northern Cape, Vodacom used the temporary spectrum assigned by the Independent Communications...
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