{"id":43647,"date":"2012-02-22T14:01:16","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T12:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=43647"},"modified":"2012-02-22T15:01:35","modified_gmt":"2012-02-22T13:01:35","slug":"icasa-kept-from-regulating-effectively-qualcomm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/telecoms\/43647-icasa-kept-from-regulating-effectively-qualcomm.html","title":{"rendered":"ICASA kept from regulating effectively: Qualcomm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Restrictions prevent SA\u2019s telecoms regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)<\/a>, from performing its duties.<\/p>\n

This is according to Bill Bold<\/a>, Qualcomm\u2019s<\/a> head of government affairs, who was answering questions about spectrum policy during a recent conference call<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our view, ICASA just hasn\u2019t been given the latitude to perform its regulatory task,\u201d Bold said.<\/p>\n

Bold said that in markets where there\u2019s a Ministry and a regulator (like South Africa), there has to be very clear coherence from a legal perspective, and very clear signals to the industry, of who performs which task.<\/p>\n

The line between the Ministry\u2019s responsibility and that of ICASA needs to be clear, Bold said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat has not happened in either Kenya or South Africa,\u201d Bold said. \u201cIt really has to do with institution building in both markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bold went on to say that the constant turnover of the Minister of Communication in South Africa hasn\u2019t been helpful either. With the amount of turnover South Africa\u2019s Ministry has seen you can\u2019t have coherent policy, Bold said.<\/p>\n