The latest example of a moribund state-owned enterprise is Sentech. It was once the signal distribution arm of the SABC, but was separated from its parent broadcaster when e-tv was licenced. It was encouraged to expand its lines of business by the former communications minister, Poison
Tensions are simmering between Internet service providers and industry regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa), following the conversion of telecommunications licences last year.
Over the past two weeks, Icasa has sent letters to network and service licensees demanding to know what they’ve done with their new licences, TechCentral has learnt.
Hundreds of Internet service providers [...]
It’s almost the end of another year. It has become something of a tradition for me to use this column around this time each year to reflect on the 12 months past and to make some informed predictions about the technology year to come.
Last December, I made a number of predictions about what was likely [...]
As a regulator, there is need to pause and take stock, determining to what extent the socioeconomic policy objectives have been advanced. In this regard one has to take into cognisance the regulatory toolkit, which includes the licensing process, ensuring competition, enforcing universal service obligations and facilitating the equitable and meritocratic allocation of scarce frequency resources
SA consumers got their first taste of a broadband price war last week when a small Internet service provider, Afrihost, slashed the price of bandwidth to below cost. It’s a promising start, but matters little until Telkom is forced to open its network to rivals. It was a ballsy move. Last week, Afrihost cut the cost of fixed-line bandwidth on broadband digital subscriber lines to just R29/GB. To put that in perspective, the average selling price for this type of bandwidth has, until now, been R50-R70/GB
The Wireless Access Providers’ Association (Wapa), an industry body representing 65 wireless Internet service providers, has called for a radical rethink of how scarce radio frequency spectrum is managed in SA, saying industry self-regulation should be given serious consideration for certain spectrum bands.
The association’s joint chairman, Johann Botha (pictured), says Wapa would like to apply [...]
Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) councillors came in for some sharp criticism in the national assembly on Tuesday afternoon. “I must point out that the committee is not satisfied with the overall performance of Icasa councillors,” ANC MP Ismail Vadi, who chairs the communications portfolio committee, told members of parliament.
But this did not mean [...]
