Convergence Bill up for debate

[kaspaas]

Convergence Bill up for debate
27/03/2005 14:12 - (SA)
http://www.finance24.com/Finance/Economy/0,,1518-25_1681572,00.html


Johannesburg - The National Assembly's communications portfolio committee has invited stakeholders and interested parties to submit written submissions on the Convergence Bill by no later than April 8.

Following several delays, the Bill was tabled in parliament earlier this month.


It pledges to create a new telecommunications, media and technology industry landscape and to provide the legal framework for convergence of the broadcasting, broadcasting signal distribution and telecommunications sectors.


The Telecommunications Act, which to an extent favoured the fixed line monopoly Telkom - in which government has a 38% share - will be replaced by the Bill's legal framework.


It also provides for the transition and conversion of existing regulations and licences under the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act and the Broadcasting Act.

 

[Debbie]

Hey,

Since I am new here, I do not know if there is any formal procedure that mybroadband follows as a group in commenting on such legislation. Is there?

If not, are there people out there willing to help draft a public comments submission (dunno if you saw the one I wrote on the PSTS price cap) ? I am more than happy to do this, but I do not want to do it alone.

Please post here if anyone is interested. These sorts of things are very important if we want to bring about change in the industry.

Debbie2

 

[dominic]

see http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=17969&highlight=Convergence

no formal procedure really but co-ordination thru the forum works well - i am up for assistance - will be looking particularly at the problems with definitions and the proposed licensing regime (chapter 3)...also the need for the bill to draw clear lines as to competencies of ICASA vs the Competition Commission

 

[DFantom]

Any rough idea's when the bill is supposed to go through?

 

[dominic]

will depend to some extent on the quality and quantity of the submissions to the portfolio committee....imho there are definitely some things that need to change

again imo the bill is not as telkom-friendly as telkom might like which may lead to them and the other usual suspects doing their best to delay delay delay

i would be surprised to see it as law before the end of the year but you never know...