SA’s Telcos to Have Temporary Access to High-Demand Broadband Spectrum

South Africa’s communications watchdog announced on Monday the emergency release of high-demand spectrum to meet the spike in broadband services demand due to COVID-19.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) will publish a Government Gazette containing regulations that prescribe minimum standards that licensees must adhere to for the entire period of the National State Disaster today.

A critical measure introduced by the regulations is the temporary release of high demand spectrum (HDS) for the duration of the national state of disaster in order to ease network congestion, maintain a good quality of broadband services, and enable licensees to lower cost of access to consumers.

In this regard, ICASA has decided to make the following International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum bands available for temporary assignment :

• 700MHz
• 800MHz
• 2300MHz
• 2600MHz and
• 3500MHz bands.

Licensees will be required to submit their applications to ICASA by Thursday, the 9th of April 2020.

The bands shall be assigned in accordance with the criteria and conditions stipulated by the authority.

“It is of critical importance to note that the emergency release of this spectrum does not, in any way whatsoever, negate the processes that are currently underway for permanent assignment of spectrum through an auction, the process which the Authority had committed to finalise by the end of 2020; as well as the assignment of spectrum to be set aside for the Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) due for completion next year”, says ICASA Acting Chairperson, Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng.

ICASA will take all measures necessary to ensure that the permanent licensing process for HDS is expedited.

In this regard, ICASA said it is sensitive to the fact that the emergency release of the spectrum to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, should neither delay nor undermine processes to license the spectrum on a permanent basis. Hence the criteria to be used to release the spectrum for use on an emergency basis shall be fair and non-discriminatory.

“We intend to take the necessary care in this regard; and to ensure that there are no irreversible anti-competitive effects for the market. In addition, we really urge licensees to work with us for the benefit of all South Africans in a collaborative effort so that the emergency release of the spectrum can make a meaningful contribution to curb the spread and flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic”, says Dr Modimoeng.