The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa hereby notes the contents of the Draft Policy Directions issued by the Minister on 14 December 2011, the purpose of which is to indicate her intention to issue Policy Directions to the authority on the Exploitation of the Digital Dividend Spectrum and Radio Frequency Spectrum for Electronic Communications Services.
The authority would like to point out that the main reason the public consultation process on the Licensing of High Demand Spectrum is being run parallel with the Minister’s Policy Directions is to deal with the excessive delays that have dogged this licensing process over the past five years. The authority has no intention to circumvent the provision of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act and the Electronic Communications Act in that regard.
It is recognised that the ministerial public consultation is underway. Therefore, the Authority will not finalise the process on the Draft Spectrum Assignment Plan and Invitation to apply before the Minister has finalised the Policy Directions on High Demand Spectrum and Digital Dividend.
Should the final Policy Directions introduce material changes to the Draft Policy Directions the authority will consider the implications for the finalisation of the Spectrum Assignment Plan and Information Technology Association (ITA) and provide stakeholders with an opportunity to make written submissions to that effect.
In order to encourage full participation in this process the Authority has decided to extend the schedule for written submissions from 31 January 2012 to 29 February 2012. A notice will be published in the Government Gazette in that regard.
For all media enquiries please contact:
Paseka Maleka
Tel: 011 566 3455
Cell: 079 509 0702
E-mail: pmaleka@icasa.org.za
