Connecting Africa is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

4G/5G

SA regulator to fight spectrum auction ban

Article Image
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) says it will appeal a recent court ruling that has halted its planned spectrum auction in the country.

Earlier this month Telkom South Africa won a court interdict to stop the auction for 4G and 5G spectrum, which was supposed to kick off at the end of March.

"The Council of the Authority reaffirms its view that it is of utmost importance that the spectrum be licensed, and that all avenues be pursued to avoid further delays in the process," ICASA said in an emailed statement.

The telecoms regulator said it will pursue "an expedited appeal" against the decision of the Pretoria High Court, which may include directly petitioning South Africa's Constitutional Court.

ICASA did however say it is mindful that the legal process may not be the only option to resolve the matter, and it is also exploring settlement discussions.

"We are of the view, and have been accordingly advised that there are good grounds for an appeal on this particular matter. Hence we are going ahead with such an appeal. We are, however, not entering into any mediation process but are open to explore settlement discussions with parties that deposed affidavits in Court," said ICASA's chairperson, Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng.

After years of delays, ICASA had planned to auction lots of spectrum in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz bands by no later than the end of March 2021 for local operators and for a planned Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN). However, the whole process had to be halted earlier this month pending the outcome of the court case.

SA's third-biggest network, Telkom, filed its court challenge back in December 2020 for a number of reasons, including the belief that the way the auction is structured will actually entrench the dominance of its rivals MTN and Vodacom, and that the ITA was fundamentally flawed because it included spectrum bands that are still being used by TV broadcasters.

MTN also went to the North Gauteng High Court in January, opposing the auction for different reasons. MTN's challenge is narrower and is concerned specifically with the way the regulator intends licensing 3.5GHz spectrum, which is key for 5G services.

Last week, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said during his year-end financial results presentation that the operator was keen to reach a solution via mediation because it was "committed to the release of this high demand spectrum as soon as possible."

For over a decade operators have been forced to refarm their existing allocations of 2G and 3G spectrum in order to deploy 4G technology and have only been able to launch 5G due to temporary spectrum allocated by ICASA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related posts:

— Paula Gilbert, Editor, Connecting Africa

Innovation hub

Story

Hot startup of the month: Nigeria's Tech Herfrica

Connecting Africa's hot startup is Nigeria's Tech Herfrica, a social impact organization that focuses on the digital and financial inclusion of women and girls in rural areas of Nigeria.

Story

Omdia View: February 2024

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

More Innovation hub

Latest video

More videos

Partner perspectives

All Partner Perspectives

Sponsored video

More videos

Industry announcements

More Industry announcements

Upcoming events

Africa Tech Festival 2024
November 11-14, 2024
Cape Town, South Africa
More Upcoming events

Africa Tech Perspectives

Story

Uber's Marjorie Saint-Lot on inclusion and sustainability in Africa

Uber's Country Manager for Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Marjorie Saint-Lot, shares how the ride-hailing company is approaching public-private partnerships, environmentally friendly initiatives and gender inclusion in Africa.

Story

The 100 most influential African leaders in 2023

A new report from Africa Tech Festival and Connecting Africa puts a spotlight on the top 100 African leaders in the telecoms and technology sector in 2023.

Story

Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem

New survey reveals a lack of access to investors, reliance on international VCs and global recession trends as the biggest barriers for East African tech startups to access funds.

More Africa Tech perspectives

Guest Perspectives

Story

Omdia View: February 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

Story

Omdia View: January 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in January 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included a $200 million fintech deal between MTN and Mastercard as well as 5G network trials by Telecom Egypt – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

More Guest Perspectives

Like us on Facebook

Newsletter Sign Up


Sign Up
Tag id test-002