Undersea cable landing guidelines published
The Department of Communications published its guidelines for landing undersea cable systems in South Africa in the Government Gazette on the 27th of February under the ‘proposed guidelines for rapid deployment of electronic communications facilities’.
According to the general provisions listed in the document an international submarine cable system, a cable landing station or an international submarine cable system may only be landed or operated in the Republic with the written Authorization issued by the minister according to the landing guidelines.
To qualify for Authorization, the applicant must be an ECNS license holder and the cable system must have a 51% or higher African shareholding.
In the document Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, in consultation with Environmental and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, declares that the landing of international submarine cables ‘constitute activities that will affect more than one province and once connected to the international global communications network will transverse international boundaries’.
It is further stated that the landing of undersea cable systems has implications for national environmental policy and the country’s national security.
Telkom exempt
The Minister exempted the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE cable system from the newly published guidelines as ‘application of the ownership criteria would result in a disruption of international commerce’ and undermines the purposes of the ECA.
Telkom SA will also not need to obtain an authorization in terms of the current operations of its international submarine cable system.
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