ICASA recently withdrew a notice regarding the license conversion process, effectively putting the process on halt again.<\/p>\n
In a Government Gazette statement the telecoms regulator said that it gives notice that “the Notice published in Government Gazette No. 31399 on 5 September 2008 [where ICASA is ready to issue converted licenses to licensees] is hereby withdrawn.”<\/p>\n
ICASA said it will issue another notice in respect to the license conversion process in due course.<\/p>\n
ICASA was planning to issue I-ECS and I-ECNS licenses to various Value Added Network Services (VANS) after a high court ruling that VANS were entitled to self provide, effectively giving them automatic rights to Individual ECNS (I-ECNS) licenses under the Electronic Communications Act (ECA).<\/p>\n
Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has however appealed this ruling, saying that it will undermine her ‘managed liberalization’ policies. This in turn has yet again put a halt on the already overdue license conversions and consequently stifling competition in the telecoms market.<\/p>\n