Vodacom-Neotel deal gets approval

very interesting email from ICASA - appearing in Government Gazette nog al

...
 
MickeyD said:
1. BEE - 30% requirement
2. At least 25% of Neotel's broadband rollout to be in under serviced areas, with a minimum of 5Mbps.
Click to expand...

interesting things to seek comment on

So, we suggest some possible conditions. The one thing that 10 there is great concern from the Authority on is the BBBEE aspect. We submit that there is currently no legal basis for the Authority to at this juncture impose conditions on that basis or to reject the transaction on an HDI basis due to the arguments raised by Vodacom. We do,
however, submit that when Neotel’s licence must be renewed, it is incumbent upon the Authority at that juncture to again consider whether the 30% threshold is met. In terms of the ECA the Authority may dispense of that requirement.
I submit that it is within the powers of the Authority to, at this juncture, after conducing administrative process or with Neotel
making the undertaking, to effectively indicate that in 2020, I believe ICASA it’s 2020, but I speak under correction on that point, that Neotel’s licence will not be renewed, if there is not a 30% HDI. The effect of this is that Vodacom will need to acquire a BBBEE investor by the licence renewal or itself have a 30% HDI holding.
[/quote]

They are effectively kicking in the public hearing administrative process to introduce the HDI objective and are indicating an intention to do a chapter 10 market review ...

5Mbps LTE wholesale network services in underserviced areas would be amazing
 
Paul Hjul said:
5Mbps LTE wholesale network services in underserviced areas would be amazing
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Qualifications for being underserviced? As usual I think we won't be seen as underserviced even though we've been passed with practically every technology.
 
Swa said:
Qualifications for being underserviced? As usual I think we won't be seen as underserviced even though we've been passed with practically every technology.
Click to expand...

theirs or mine?

Or yours?
 
Swa said:
I want to know what the qualifications would be for being considered underserviced.
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the link from McD gives the one the regulator is likely to use

I take a narrower and more purposive view

however at this point it is reasonable to assume that Neotel as a going concern preserving value in enterprise will actually find value in deploying data access on the 800 Mhz (that region anyway) in certain low density areas.
 
“Underserviced Area” is any area with a local or district municipality in which:

(i) no electronic communications network has been constructed;

or

(ii) an electronic communications network has been constructed, but coverage of the inhabited parts of the area, fall below the national average; or

(iii) an electronic communications network has been constructed, but over which no or, limited electronic communications services or broadcasting services are being provided

as determined by the Authority from time to time.
Click to expand...
This is the worrying part. I was skipped by Sentech MyUseless when it existed, I've given up on being covered by iBust, not covered by Neotel Narrowband, literally on the edge of their CDMA, and fibre providers don't want to touch us. Yet they'll argue that we are covered by cellular and Telkom so we'll be skipped because we are neither affluent enough or rural enough. It's like not being white enough and then not being black enough.
 
Paul Hjul said:
(ii) is the pertinent one
Click to expand...
That is also rather worrying. Vodacom's coverage here is dismal. I get one bar and in the mall the signal regularly disappears. Cell C and Telkom's coverage is rather ok'ish with good speeds and don't know what MTN is like now. Listening to all the complaints this is more or less the norm for most areas.
 
ja 14 working days really should be banned as a time period. You look at it and go "**** 2 weeks" and then "o wait its three weeks" and "well not quite three weeks"
 
Paul Hjul said:
interesting things to seek comment on

So, we suggest some possible conditions. The one thing that 10 there is great concern from the Authority on is the BBBEE aspect. We submit that there is currently no legal basis for the Authority to at this juncture impose conditions on that basis or to reject the transaction on an HDI basis due to the arguments raised by Vodacom. We do,
however, submit that when Neotel’s licence must be renewed, it is incumbent upon the Authority at that juncture to again consider whether the 30% threshold is met. In terms of the ECA the Authority may dispense of that requirement.
I submit that it is within the powers of the Authority to, at this juncture, after conducing administrative process or with Neotel
making the undertaking, to effectively indicate that in 2020, I believe ICASA it’s 2020, but I speak under correction on that point, that Neotel’s licence will not be renewed, if there is not a 30% HDI. The effect of this is that Vodacom will need to acquire a BBBEE investor by the licence renewal or itself have a 30% HDI holding.
Click to expand...


neotel licences, and most iecns and iecs licences to be renewed in 2029
in rebuttal: apply your own damn rules as you apply to everyone else http://www.ellipsis.co.za/icasa-not...nsfers-and-historically-disadvantaged-groups/
 
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