sybawoods
Expert Member
For those who haven't caught up with the news yet, it seems that the SNO is now officially good to go, and hopefully should be up and running with basic services relatively soon:
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Compromise in SNO licence award
BY PAUL VECCHIATTO, ITWEB CAPE TOWN CORRESPONDENT
[Johannesburg, 18 December 2003] - Government has decided to stick with the compromise shareholding for the second national operator (SNO) and announced today that 25% of its equity would be warehoused.
Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said in a statement that she had decided to grant CommuniTel and Two Consortium 26% equity in the SNO, of which each will hold 13%. Both parties have agreed to accept the offer.
The unallocated 25% equity will remain with government, which will take responsibility for seeing that this portion is warehoused.
According to the Minister, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) will issue a licence to the integrated entity composed of CommuniTel, Two Consortium, Esitel, Transtel and Nexus Connection.
Nexus Connection, which represents the black equity part of the deal, will hold 19% and parastatal organisations Transtel and Eskom will hold 30% between them.
The decision comes after ICASA had rejected bids and recommendations by the Department of Communications on two occasions leading to a crisis of confidence by industry in the process. There were also questions raised about exactly which organisation - ICASA or the Department of Communications - was in charge of the process.
“I would like to thank all parties for their willingness to engage in discussions and also to encourage them to work together, so that a credible, effective SNO is in place as soon as possible,” minister Matsepe-Casaburri said. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2003/0312181728.asp
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Compromise in SNO licence award
BY PAUL VECCHIATTO, ITWEB CAPE TOWN CORRESPONDENT
[Johannesburg, 18 December 2003] - Government has decided to stick with the compromise shareholding for the second national operator (SNO) and announced today that 25% of its equity would be warehoused.
Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said in a statement that she had decided to grant CommuniTel and Two Consortium 26% equity in the SNO, of which each will hold 13%. Both parties have agreed to accept the offer.
The unallocated 25% equity will remain with government, which will take responsibility for seeing that this portion is warehoused.
According to the Minister, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) will issue a licence to the integrated entity composed of CommuniTel, Two Consortium, Esitel, Transtel and Nexus Connection.
Nexus Connection, which represents the black equity part of the deal, will hold 19% and parastatal organisations Transtel and Eskom will hold 30% between them.
The decision comes after ICASA had rejected bids and recommendations by the Department of Communications on two occasions leading to a crisis of confidence by industry in the process. There were also questions raised about exactly which organisation - ICASA or the Department of Communications - was in charge of the process.
“I would like to thank all parties for their willingness to engage in discussions and also to encourage them to work together, so that a credible, effective SNO is in place as soon as possible,” minister Matsepe-Casaburri said. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2003/0312181728.asp
