ICASA LLU findings: all the details

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) today (30 November 2011) released their findings of the inquiry into the ICASA framework for introducing Local Loop Unbundling (LLU).

Councilor William Stucke described the process as a ‘long hard slog’ which took the regulator 4 years to complete.

The following are the main points of the LLU findings document:

• ICASA has determined that the existence of an access line deficit is a significant obstacle to the introduction of fixed line LLU.
• ICASA will take phased approach to introduction of LLU.
• ICASA will convene an industry working group to establish an access line deficit recovery scheme. This will start in February 2012.
• ICASA will engage with industry to reduce the price of Telkom’s IPConnect (IPC) service. This will be from 31 March 2012.
• ICASA will engage with industry to ensure true bitstream product is introduced by 1 November 2012.
• ICASA will establish an industry working group to address the technical issues related to bitstream. This group will be formed in February 2012.
• ICASA will conduct regulatory impact assessment (RIA) of the cost and benefits of the fixed line local loop, sub loop and shared loop forms of LLU, commencing mid-2012.
• Depending on the outcome of the RIA, ICASA will conduct a market review on the fixed line access market and introduce supplementary LLU regulations.
• ICASA will undertake an enquiry into the unbundling of the wireless access networks.