VANS can self provide

[ToxicBunny]

We can but hope...

I relish every time that !CASA or DoC get screwed over for their stupidity and incompetence (even though it actually ends up costing us money through taxes)

 

[redarrow]

I don't claim to be an expert..

However reading in between the lines of the responses here, I have come to the conclusion that this is a good thing..

Yea... I'm pretty good at spotting the subliminal messages in peoples posts..

 

[Roman4604]

This should also have a major dead-in-the-water effect on !CASA's 51% BEE requirement for VANS

I think the 51% BEE was more to do with spectrum allocation rather than licensing per se.

I think our gov/regulator is being immature & narrow minded by looking at the problem one dimensionally. They are going on the premise that reserving valueble telecom resouces (i.e. spectrum) for majority BEE companies will foster empowerment. It will for a few well connected individuals/companies in the telecoms sector, however at the detrement of the country as a whole.

We have to be realististic, the probablity of new startups making a go of it in a way that will bring about meaningful change to overall market pricing is low, compared to what the well established providers could do. I say fairly allocate spectrum to those organisation with the appetite, financing & experience today to use it on national scale, even if they fall short of the 51% BEE ownership currently. Let the competition between them and the incumbent landline/mobile operators start in earnest soon.

What's the worst that will happen, a few non-BBE companies benefit, but think of the real benfit to the country as a whole; improved global competitiveness, GDP growth, and increased activity in all sectors of the economy. The gov should stop trying to give WiMAX to shack dwellers, rather give them a vibrant economy with opportunities where they can develop themselves to a point where they would want WiMAX.

 

[dominic]

I think the 51% BEE was more to do with spectrum allocation rather than licensing per se.

Yep, you are correct, my bad .

interestingly enough ICASA based their emphasis on BEE and the 51% on sections of the ECA relating to service licensing as opposed to frequency licensing. The factors listed for frequency licensing are in fact, as you would expect, related to efficiency, interference and the like

I think our gov/regulator is being immature & narrow minded by looking at the problem one dimensionally. They are going on the premise that reserving valueble telecom resouces (i.e. spectrum) for majority BEE companies will foster empowerment. It will for a few well connected individuals/companies in the telecoms sector, however at the detrement of the country as a whole.

We have to be realististic, the probablity of new startups making a go of it in a way that will bring about meaningful change to overall market pricing is low, compared to what the well established providers could do. I say fairly allocate spectrum to those organisation with the appetite, financing & experience today to use it on national scale, even if they fall short of the 51% BEE ownership currently. Let the competition between them and the incumbent landline/mobile operators start in earnest soon.

What's the worst that will happen, a few non-BBE companies benefit, but think of the real benfit to the country as a whole; improved global competitiveness, GDP growth, and increased activity in all sectors of the economy. The gov should stop trying to give WiMAX to shack dwellers, rather give them a vibrant economy with opportunities where they can develop themselves to a point where they would want WiMAX.

agreed. witness R500 million being wasted by Sentech to connect (not maintain) 233 schools on a national WiMax network. the mind boggles

 

[hisite]

gentleman start your engines,let the race begin!!!!!

 

[NihilimSA]

I am yet too see anyone post any relevant information as to what exactly this will mean for us consumers. Everyone seems happy but why? When will the first new companies be able to lay cables?
If this is such big news why is the Telkom and Neotel not even responding to this impending threat?
This looked good on paper but it seems as if nothing is being done about SA's new found freedom.
If I'm wrong please point me in the direction of anyone that will be taking advantage if this new regulation.
I.E. who will start laying cables and when or do I have to wait another year for Telkom and Neotel to consider if I'm worth having as a paying customer or not.

 

[kingmonty]

I am yet too see anyone post any relevant information as to what exactly this will mean for us consumers. Everyone seems happy but why? When will the first new companies be able to lay cables?
If this is such big news why is the Telkom and Neotel not even responding to this impending threat?
This looked good on paper but it seems as if nothing is being done about SA's new found freedom.
If I'm wrong please point me in the direction of anyone that will be taking advantage if this new regulation.
I.E. who will start laying cables and when or do I have to wait another year for Telkom and Neotel to consider if I'm worth having as a paying customer or not.

The VANS (including Vodacom, Cell C, MTN, Internet Solutions, Verizon, etc, etc) are currently heavily reliant on Telkom infrastructure to provide backhaul and interchange capacity. This reliance was protectd by law, ICASA and the DoC. Until Now. Effectively, what this means is that now someone like MTN can interlink their cellular towers using their own network (which they'd need to install themselves, obviously) and will not be forced to use Telkom's infrastructure and pay Telkom's exorbitant inter-exchange rates.

Similarly, Internet Solutions (as an example) can now self provide their links to the SAT-3 (and when it becomes available, Seacom) cable infrastructure without being forced to use one of the fixed line operators' subterranean infrastructure.

A third example of what it changes is, it allows a VANS licensee to provide services (which may include data such as Video on Demand) over their own network instead of being forced over saturated Telkom networks.

So, when VANS finish building their networks, we can (as consumers) reasonably expect the price of telecommunications to come down significantly, as for the first time, VANS will be allowed to compete directly with the fixed line operators - without the fixed line operators holding all favour in terms of legislation. This means we can see a reduction in cellular costs, internet access, introduction of new services such as Cable TV, Video on Demand services, etc etc.

As for who is laying cables, etc: MTN, Vodacom and several VANS are laying their own cable infrastructure as we speak. Other players such as Altech and Didata/IS are sure to follow suit - just as soon as all the legal processes have concluded.

 

[dominic]

^^ good answer. impressed with the king i am.