ICASA hits back at broadband spectrum article

[QuintonB]

ICASA strikes back after broadband spectrum article

ICASA says that the problem of broadband spectrum allocation does not lie with the authority

 

[TrueSeeker]

So in summary...

The ICASA/DOC [??] licensing fees are prohibitive so uptake is slow.
Since it wont work for rural ICASA is not interested.
ICASA is not independent of the DoC.

In final summary ICASA is a hand puppet for the DoC who's main objective is to gather licensing fees.

So what have I been saying again?

 

[moosag]

I like how they mention that its not their fault... but they dont tell you

1) what those high fees are??

2) by those fees being so "high" it indeed stifles broadband in this country...

so again ICASA is stupid as usual....

 

[dominic]

100% agree with ICASA on this one
delays in assignment of spectrum need to be correctly situated at the Minister's door

 

[Tns]

icasa very much useless

 

[Tjoker]

The Authority will in time come up with a licensing regime (e.g. light-licensing) that doesn’t subject these systems to the current spectrum fee formula.

And there lies your problem ICASA!!

 

[BGE]

Wake up ICASA, had you put forward the idea of a single network structure which all mobile operators have to use, this situation would be totally irrelevant. Imagine what could have been done if 1 network was deployed from the word go. Pool all the operators present coverage and they would have been able to cover the whole country 100% long ago... instead each operator has to re-invent the wheel time and time again! SLA's would govern network quality and availablity!

 

[Paul Hjul]

I find ICASA's response rather interesting and odd - and more importantly revealing a BIG problem in the regulatory space.

Currently setting the spectrum allocation scheme really lies with the Minister of Communication and there are various draft bills, suggestions etc ... to give the Minister even more control with the idea of another authority to deal with spectrum allocations appearing somewhere. In this respect ICASA can't be faulted for passing to the Minister. However there are sooo many other areas with the Minister or Department are the problem and ICASA has taken flack that the question needs to be asked why did this suggestion trigger a response of pointing out that fault lies with the Minister, why did ICASA violate the unwritten rule that ICASA shall not publicly undermine the majesty and infallibility of the great Minister?

There is also the radio fee structure changes which sees Telkom paying a hefty amount for its allocations that lurk in the background.

It really is odd how ICASA is locked onto DTT processes but appear to have no connections to either the ITU Indaba (and its massive bill) or the ICT Policy Review Panel (which we have heard nothing further on since confirmation of receiving the nomination papers) or any 2020 broadband strategy or the precept of a national broadband network. Peering back to look at the licence process for Infraco should have resulted in ICASA being tasked with holding hearings and an inquiry before we again have a situation where the ECA, ICASA and government intent get into a sticky mess.

Then of course there is the LLU saga and moreover the Businessday allegations of a "public" document being leaked. When the involvement of state security agencies and targeting of a counsellor with whom Telkom clearly have an axe to grind is brought into the mix it is clear that something rotten is a foot.

Ultimately it seems that government has been undermining ICASA for so long, and ICASA has on the whole failed to develop the capacity to do its job that a state of chaos is upon us. Hopefully this press statement is the start of ICASA showing a back bone, hopefully a press statement condemning the ludicrous report of the business day and revealing why ICASA reacted the way which it did.