Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) CEO Themba Dlamini will in early February reveal findings of a detailed investigation into radio frequency spectrum allegedly used by Screamer Telecoms, an Internet service provider.
Screamer, which provides Internet access using WiMax, a wireless broadband technology, hit the headlines last October when former Sentech chairman Quraysh Patel accused Screamer of using the state-owned company’s spectrum unlawfully to provide services.
It appears Screamer used a portion of Sentech’s 50MHz spectrum allocation in the 2,6GHz band after the two parties reached a commercial agreement, which was later cancelled.
Screamer’s use of the spectrum has long been a hot topic in the telecoms industry, especially since a number of commercial operators are keen to get access to the 2,6GHz band.
For now, Sentech and iBurst parent company Wireless Business Solutions are the only two companies licensed to provide services in this band. However, many operators want to use the spectrum to roll out high-speed wireless broadband.
Patel said last year that Screamer was using the spectrum despite the state-owned company cancelling the agreement and declining a request to renew the contract.
It’s not known if Screamer is still using the spectrum to provide services, but Patel asked Icasa to investigate the matter if it had reason to believe that this was the case.
Dlamini will present its findings to the Icasa council within the first two weeks of February. The council will then decide how to proceed.
Screamer CEO Gavin Hart says the company’s legal team has written letters to Icasa. “Though they were acknowledged we have still not yet received a response,” he says. — Candice Jones, TechCentral
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