The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) held public hearings from 28 to 30 June 2010 on the draft call termination regulations.
The goal of these regulations is to overcome identified market failures in the provision of call termination services, identified as:
- a lack of the provision of access
- the potential for discrimination between licensees offering similar services
- a lack of transparency
- inefficient pricing
Amongst other objectives, these regulations intend to reduce the wholesale price licensees charge each other for reaching their customers from the current commercially agreed upon scenario to a regulated rate based on the cost of providing such a service. Such action is necessary to foster competition in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, ultimately with the effect of lower prices being paid by consumers.
Stakeholders raised a multitude of concerns during the public hearings, chiefly around the proposed glide-path and how this may negatively affect their businesses. Counter to this, however, was the desired result of enhanced competition that would ultimately benefit consumers through a reduction in retail prices.
Owing to concerns raised by stakeholders during the public hearings and in the interest of balancing the Authority’s triple mandate of ensuring fair prices to consumers, promoting competition in the ICT sector whilst ensuring a favourable investment environment, the Authority held further one-on-one meetings with those stakeholders that requested the opportunity to do so.
The Authority has now finalised this process and will be publishing the final Call Termination Regulations in the Government Gazette on Friday, 29 October 2010. The Authority will also hold a media briefing to present the regulations to the media and the industry stakeholders in general.
The media briefing will be held as follows:
Date: Friday, 29 October 2010
Venue : Block C Presentation Room, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton
Time : 09h30 to 10h30
For all media enquiries please contact:
Paseka Maleka
Tel: 011 566 3455
Cell: 079 509 0702
E-mail: pmaleka@icasa.org.za
Source: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
