Cwele gets interdict against Icasa - 4G spectrum licensing must stop

[Jan]

Cwele gets interdict against Icasa: 4G spectrum licensing must stop

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele has received an interdict against industry regulator ICASA.

 

[LazyLion]

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing...

 

[ginggs]

But Cwele fought the auction on grounds that government’s policy regarding spectrum, at that stage, had not yet been finalised and that the sale risks only benefitting big companies with deep pockets.

Surely only big companies with deep pockets will be able to make proper use of the spectrum?

 

[me_]

Surely only big companies with deep pockets will be able to make proper use of the spectrum?

I assume his goal is to inject small BBBEE companies (with some connection back to Zuma) to buy the spectrum with loans from government and then re-sell or lease it to the incumbent service providers.

 

[Gaz{M}]

Yes, only large companies will have the finances to bid and win the spectrum and also to roll out networks, although forcing them to allow at least 3 MVNO's does mean smaller consortiums can piggy back on these networks.

This goes beyond that - are the spectrum lots all fair and equally valuable? (No) Can ICASA allocated spectrum that isn't available yet? (No)

 

[me_]

Just heard on the radio now that government will be publishing a white paper in the next few days. Speculation is that this may contain a new SOE to manage spectrum - a whole new organisation (wit executives, board, etc) just to manage spectrum... We will have to wait and see.