Some are taking advantage of this legal uncertainty to build broadband wireless networks using unregulated frequency spectrum - the so-called industrial-scientific-medical (ISM) bands at 2,4 GHz and 5,8 GHz. Wireless operators, many of them using outdoor Wi-Fi technology, have sprung up in Johannesburg, Cape Town and in some smaller centres.
Its things like this though that are futher hampering growth in this country. A few months ago I went to a lecture at Wits given by Prof A Every on Waves. During the discussion afterwards, the SKA was brought up (This is a Radio telescope worth millions that South Africa is bidding for, to have built in our country). Currently the biggest contenders, if I rememeber right, are us and Australia.
Now the problem comes in that there is so much illegal use of the ISM bands, that there is a chance that we could lose the bid because of this.. TO AUSTRALIA. This is because they have better control of these bands than we do, and setting up the radio telescope here might cause huge amounts of interference and result inaccurate readings.
Our Department of Science and Technology is supposedly hugely behind this bid, yet the DoC doesn't seem to give a damn!
Is our Goverment ever going to learn!
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