ICASA gives operators more time
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) held public hearings from the 28th-30th June on the draft call termination regulations.
These regulations seek to reduce the wholesale price licensees charge each other for reaching their customers from the current commercially agreed upon scenario to a regulated rate based on the cost of providing such a service.
Stakeholders raised a multitude of concerns, chiefly around the proposed glide-path and how this may negatively affect their businesses. These concerns were raised mainly by Vodacom, MTN, CELL C and Nashua.
Counter to this, however, was the desired result of enhanced competition that would ultimately benefit consumers through a reduction in retail prices.
In the interest of balancing the triple mandate of this exercise of ensuring fair prices to consumers, promoting competition in the ICT sector whilst ensuring a favourable investment environment, ICASA has granted stakeholders until Friday the 9th of July 2010 to make further written submissions to the regulator.
ICASA said that it will review all the written and oral submissions over the next few weeks and inform all stakeholders of progress in this regard.
“We are therefore of the view that the granting of extra time to provide additional information pursuant to the public hearings held this week could have an effect on the issuing of the final regulations and the implementation date for rate reductions. The Authority will however keep the public informed of further developments in this regard,” ICASA said in a press statement.
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