HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE: telecommunications regulator Icasa has finally converted the licences of the incumbent telecoms operators and service providers, effectively breathing life into the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) for the first time.<\/p>\n
Some value-added network services (Vans) licensees had feared Icasa wouldn’t meet its self-imposed August deadline to issue them with their new licences, but the regulator confirmed late last week the “ink was just drying” on their new licences and they would be formally issued over the next few days.<\/p>\n
The incumbent operators will be known as Electronic Communication Network Service (ECNS) licensees, while the Vans automatically become the Electronic Communication Service (ECS) licensees. Those countrywide in scope will have “individual” ECNS or ECS licences, while those more local in nature will be “class” licensees.<\/p>\n
ECN CEO John Holdsworth described it as a “seminal, watershed” moment in SA’s telecoms landscape. Holdsworth has been very critical of the pace of liberalisation and has long said self-provision, while important, isn’t the panacea required to bring prices down. He says it’s now even more critical that Icasa puts new pro-competitive regulations in place to free any restrictions that still apply. “Without regulations the licences are effectively worthless.”<\/p>\n
Some of those include non-discriminatory numbering, fixed-line number portability, cost-based interconnection and facilities leasing, carrier pre-selection and local loop unbundling.<\/p>\n
The gap in the licensing-conversion process still lies in those Vans that do want to self-provide their infrastructure (potentially new i-ECNS licensees). They’re still waiting for the outcome of a court battle between Altech Autopage and the authorities challenging the right to self-provide.<\/p>\n