Telecommunications & postal services minister Siyabonga Cwele will present the results of an investigation into spectrum, conducted by the CSIR, to cabinet before it is made available to the public, he said on Wednesday.
Speaking in a podcast interview with TechCentral, Cwele said he hopes the report — which scrutinises how much spectrum should be reserved for government’s controversial wholesale open-access network (Woan) — will be discussed by cabinet before the end of the year.
Government had previously proposed that all so-called “high-demand spectrum” be reserved for the Woan, a move that prompted sharp criticism from telecoms operators and industry analysts.
The Woan model is controversial as it is largely untested elsewhere in the world and, where it has been introduced — such as in Rwanda — it hasn’t proved particularly successful. The GSMA, a global body that represents the world’s mobile operators, has strongly criticised the model.
The plan has also put Cwele on a collision course with communications regulator Icasa, which wants to license spectrum through an auction process. This is typically how spectrum for 4G/LTE networks has been allocated in other markets. The dispute between the minister and Icasa is now the subject of a court battle.
In Wednesday’s podcast interview, Cwele said government’s position on the Woan has not changed. He said the reason government approached the CSIR to conduct a study of spectrum requirements, rather than simply giving all available high-demand spectrum to the Woan, is that “operators have already made some investment, particularly in 4G networks”.
“We are taking this extraordinary measure to help us boost growth in the economy… We are hoping that by the end of this year, we should have made some form of determination and to put a plan on what to do on the extra spectrum that may be remaining.”
‘Initial brief’
Cwele said he has already received an “initial brief” from the CSIR, but has asked the research agency to “refine some of the aspects”.
“We said some of the key things the CSIR must refine, because they look at a different level of a 4G network. They must also include the latest form of what might be required in a 4G network so when we go to cabinet, we can go with all those facts. I will be going to motivate among my cabinet colleagues in the hope they will adopt whatever we present, then announce it to the public,” Cwele said. — © 2017 NewsCentral Media
- For more, listen to the podcast interview with Siyabonga Cwele