What does ICASA do???

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A lot of forumites raise valid questions about ICASA...all it seems to do is miss deadlines and fail to make any real difference to the state of broadband in SA. This thread is intended to try and provide information on what it is that ICASA actually does (or, at least, says it is doing).

Starting with the basics:

VISION
To advance the building of a digital society

MISSION
To ensure that all South Africans have access to a wide range of high quality communication services at affordable prices

VALUES
Necessity
ICASA is committed to evidence-based regulation ensuring that regulation is only introduced where there is a demonstrable need. The Authority furthermore intends to ensure that regulatory compliance does not become a barrier to the development of a sustainable ICT sector by simplifying or reducing regulation, wherever possible or appropriate.

Effectiveness
ICASA is committed to achieving its identified goals and to deliver on its mandate, taking into account the impact of such decisions.

Proportionality
ICASA aims to impose obligations in an objective, transparent and proportionate manner, where intervention is necessary.

Transparency
ICASA strives to work within a consistent, fair and certain set of parameters, and to ensure decisions are evidence based and fully reasoned, and that any decision-making process is open and accessible.

Accountability
ICASA is formally accountable to the Parliament of South Africa and, through the appeals system, to the courts. ICASA remains conscious that it ultimately serves end-users.

Consistency
ICASA pursues its legal responsibility to ensure consistency in its actions.

 

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performance plan 2013-2015

This thread is also intended to keep track of ICASA's plans and to assess how they do in meeting their own objectives and timelines. The information below has been drawn from the Annual Performance Plan for the MTEF Period 2013-2015 as presented in Parliament on 17 April 2012. Note that (a) the document is subject to change (we will try and keep up) and (b) it is a plan and there will be some slippage.

ICASA has 8 top-level strategic imperatives, referred to as Strategic Outcome Orientated Goals (SOOGs):

1. SOOG 1: TRANSFORMATION OF THE ICT SECTOR
1.1. Ensure effective HDI/BEE participation in the sector

2. SOOG 2: ENSURE THE PROVISION OF BROADBAND SERVICES
2.1. Allocation of available 1 000MHz for mobile communications
2.2. Increase connectivity of South Africans on Broadband

3. SOOG 3: OPTIMISING THE USE OF THE RADIO FREQUENCY AND THE NUMBERING RESROUCE TO SUPPORT THE WIDEST VARIETY OF SERVICES
3.1. Introduce market-based, opportunistic and other innovative approaches in access to spectrum
3.2. Introduce regulatory reform in numbering frameworks
3.3. Support the rapid uptake of new ICT technologies

4. SOOG 4: PROMOTE THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
4.1. Promote consumer rights
4.2. Ensure universal service and access

5. SOOG 5: PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PUBLIC, COMMUNITY AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL MIGRATION
5.1. Migration to and availability of choice and diversity of broadcasting services in the digital environment

6. SOOG 6: ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION AND REGULATION
6.1. Introduce a comprehensive compliance and enforcement framework

7. SOOG 7: STRENGTHEN & MODERNISE ICASA
7.1. Improved operational processes and performance

8. SOOG 8: PROMOTE COMPETITION
8.1. Remove barriers to competition

 

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breaking it down

Drilling down a little (and ignoring things relating to postal services, broadcasting and ICASA's internal operations) -

TRANSFORMATION / OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL
- Aim to publish new Ownership and Control Regulations by end March 2015
- Appears to be focus on licensees assigned numbers or radio frequency spectrum licensing, as well as broadcasting licensees
- Explicit that new Regulations reliant on the effecting of an amendment to the ECA

ENSURING THE PROVISION OF BROADBAND SERVICES
- The timing for the assignment of available IMT spectrum is not in the hands of ICASA, which must wait for the Minister of Communications to finalise policy directions before they can proceed with any significant licensing process. ICASA is also waiting for the Minister to authorise it to appoint a service provider to advise it on the structuring and implementation of an auction-based assignment process.
- Outside of this work will be done to update the National Band Plan to ensure it is line with the resolution of the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference.
- The Radio frequency migration plan – presumably to tidy up the 2.6GHz band amongst others, is to be published by 31 March 2013.
- A roadmap for the use of IMT spectrum will be drawn up in 2013/2014.
- ICASA will seek to inform the proposed national broadband plan by launching an interactive broadband map showing broadband availability throughout South Africa by 31 September 2012.
- ICASA also indicates that it will submit recommendations to the Minister by 31 June 2012 on the urgently-required Guidelines for the Rapid Deployment of Electronic Communications Infrastructure. This is undoubtedly one of the most important tasks to be accomplished although the finalisation of the document is in the hands of the Minister.
- As regards LLU ICASA has confirmed it will ensure that a bitstream access service is available by end November 2012 and an Access Line Deficit (ALD) recovery scheme implemented by March 2013. It has already exceeded its own forecast in respect of a reduction in the IPC cost.

OPTIMISING USE OF SCARCE RECOURCES TO SUPPORT THE WIDEST VARIETY OF SERVICES
- Again, progress with regard to spectrum assignment for high-demand spectrum and the manner in which this is to be achieved is dependent upon the policy to be finalised by the Minister. The tasks set out below reflect the Draft Spectrum Assignment Plan and Draft ITA for the combined licensing of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands in December 2011.
- Work on a managed spectrum park model is scheduled to commence in 2013/2014 while a framework for the use of white space and cognitive radio technologies is to be developed in 2014/2015.
- Revised Numbering Plan Regulations are planned for publication by end August 2012. ICASA will consider a report on a comprehensive number pricing framework for inclusion of number pricing in a further review of the Regulations to be finalised in the 2014/2015 financial year
- A new type approval framework is scheduled to be finalised by the end of 2012.

 

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moar breaking it down

PROMOTION OF THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
- ICASA intends to review the End-user and Subscriber Service Charter Regulations and the Code of Conduct on Persons with Disabilities by 31 March 2014
- It appears that ICASA has indentified a need to have a separate set of Consumer Protection Regulations and these are to be finalised in 2014/2015

ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION AND REGULATION
Summary:
- ICASA intends to compile a guideline on interconnection and facilities leasing disputes. A report to be tabled in the 2013/2014 financial year will include recommendations for a review of the Interconnection Regulations and Facilities Leasing Regulations to be finalised in the following financial year.
- ICASA proposes the finalisation of a framework for the imposition of universal service and access obligations (USAOs) and new regulations during the current financial year

PROMOTE COMPETITION
- The CPS Code of Practise presumably refers to the Carrier Preselection Phase 1 Code of Conduct published on 28 April 2012.
- ICASA plans to revise the number portability regulations so that they cover all number ranges, to be finalised in 2013/2014.
- Regulations designed to enforce greater transparency in the manner in which operators account for wholesale call termination costs are proposed to be finalised by end March 2013.
- ICASA will launch an investigation into the supply side value chain for the provision of electronic communications services and develop a Regulatory strategy for ECS that promotes effective competition and greater network coverage. This document is intended to identify markets for review.

 

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source documents

if you want to look at the timelines and activities in more detail, we have prepped a summary and uploaded the document as presented to Parliament as well as the obligatory accompanying powerpoint presentation (last one is a relatively large pdf).