SA’s telecoms regulator has outlined its latest plans for issuing radio frequency spectrum to mobile operators by March next year, following a consent order passed by the high court in September.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) is on a mission to redraft its plan for the spectrum auction, following an agreement with mobile operators, which was endorsed by the high court last month. The regulator had planned to auction about R8bn worth of broadband spectrum this year, but the March deadline could not be met because of legal battles over the process.
Mobile operators have long argued that access to spectrum - radio frequencies on which data and information are carried - help reduce the cost of mobile data in SA because it will allow them to cover a wider geographical area with existing towers while carrying more data traffic.
The last time SA released spectrum was between 2004 and 2005.
On Friday Icasa said it had developed a “truncated timetable and road map for the expedited licensing” of spectrum.
The timetable sets out various activities that make up the regulator's process for licensing, such as educational workshops, deadlines for public submissions, publishing an invitation to apply for spectrum, announcement of bidders and the actual auction, which is set to begin on March 1, 2022.
In September, the authority had set itself a target to be done with the licensing process by January, but this has now been moved, yet again.
“All things being equal, we envisage to licence the IMT spectrum no later than end of March 2022,” said Icasa chairperson Keabetswe Modimoeng in a statement.
With the process having been hampered by delays for years, the Icasa chairperson pleaded with operators to accept the timetable.
“We would like to urge all interested stakeholders to participate fully in this consultative engagement and to engage openly and robustly to ensure that no further impediments are placed in the way of the finalisation of this critical economic intervention,” he said.
The order comes months after behind-the-scenes negotiations between operators and Icasa to find a settlement. The high court ruled in March that the auction should be halted pending a judicial review of contentions raised by Telkom and e.tv. The television station has a stake in the process because its broadcast airwaves penetrate buildings and are ideal for sending cellular signals long distances.
At a media briefing this week, recently appointed minister of communications and digital technologies Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said she and her team were working on an aggressive plan to complete the digital migration by next year, which would open up airwaves currently held by television broadcasters. An announcement to this effect is expected in the coming week.
With the process to switch the old analogue systems to digital having experienced its own delays over the years, missing a 2011 and then 2015 deadline, Ntshavheni says she’s simply working to clear the backlog.
“I have no new date for switch off. I have a catch-up date,” she said.
Schedule for the expedited licensing of IMT spectrum:
• October 1: Publication of the Information Memorandum (IM) for consultation
• October 15: Workshop on the IM
• November 1: Closing date for receiving public representations to the IM
• November 15: Publication of 2nd IM for consultation
• November 29: Closing date for comments
• December 10: Publication of the ITA
• January 31, 2022: Closing date for receiving new and revised applications to the ITA
• February 21, 2022: Announcement of qualified bidders
• March 1, 2022: Start of the auction process
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