Spectrum Auction

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...