Government’s plan to create a wholesale open-access network “will serve no useful purpose” and could, in fact, harm consumers – the exact opposite of what it’s meant to achieve, the Free Market Foundation said.
South Africa’s communications regulator, Icasa, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Federal Communications Commission that will see the two regulators collaborate and share ideas.
Icasa has extended the temporary allocation of emergency spectrum under South Africa’s disaster management regulations by two months. This is after the authority’s spectrum auction was delayed by legal action.
The communications regulator on Wednesday welcomed the supreme court of appeal’s decision not to grant Telkom leave to appeal in its legal battle with Vodacom over the use of access to its ducts.
The supreme court of appeal has refused to entertain an application from Telkom seeking leave to appeal a high court judgment that handed victory to rival Vodacom over the use of Telkom’s ducts used to carry broadband cables.
Broadcasters, working with the ministry of communications & digital technologies, have begun switching off analogue terrestrial television transmitters in the Free State.
Communications regulator Icasa will pursue a legal appeal against a high court judgment that slammed the brakes on the spectrum auction. But has also said it is open to an out-of-court agreement.
High court Judge Selby Baqwa halted the radio frequency spectrum auction planned this month by communications regulator Icasa because he deemed the process unlawful and irrational.
Communications regulator Icasa on Tuesday confirmed that Monday’s court judgment in favour of Telkom means the spectrum auction cannot proceed later this month. The agency is now preparing for a legal battle.
A day after the high court handed Telkom an interdict, halting Icasa from licensing new broadband spectrum at the end of March, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has raised mediation as a possible solution to the impasse.