Screamer Telecommunications, which is accused using spectrum in the 2,6GHz band without a spectrum licence, has pleaded innocence, with its lawyers arguing on Wednesday that a contract between it and signal distribution company Sentech entitled it to use the spectrum in question and that the real question
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The dispute over Screamer Telecommunications’ alleged unlawful use of radio frequency spectrum owned by state-owned broadcasting signal distributor Sentech is finally coming to a head, with the complaints and compliance committee of the Independent Communications
Telecommunications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa), and members of the SA Police Service on Friday raided the head office and two satellite offices of controversial Internet service provider
Questions have been raised about the SA telecommunications and IT regulator’s complicity in allowing Global Web Intact (GWI) and Screamer to lease spectrum, apparently illegally, from Sentech. This follows the leaking of internal Sentech
Communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda says a task team appointed by him in July 2009 had identified “anomalies” and an “illegal operational model” at state-owned Sentech. Though he doesn’t state it explicity, Nyanda is clearly referring to Sentech’s controversial 2007 spectrum deal with Global Web Intact (GWI).
The cash-strapped state-owned signal distributor, Sentech, appears to have cut an illegal deal to sell wireless broadband spectrum that benefited politically connected businessmen, led by Eddie Funde, the controversial former chairman of the SABC who is now South Africa’s ambassador to Germany.
Screamer Telecoms was still using Sentech’s radio frequency spectrum as recently as October 2009, internal Sentech documents leaked to TechCentral have revealed. This is despite the state-owned company cancelling the agreement with Screamer
Sentech unlawfully allowed Screamer, a wireless Internet access provider, to use the state-owned company’s spectrum to provide services, its chairman, Quraysh Patel, has alleged. And Patel has asked the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa)