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[Johannesburg, 24 April 2008] - Value-added network service providers (VANS) wanting to self-provide national backhaul networks through an individual electronic communications network service (I-ECNS) licence face the same financial and social obligations as major telecoms operators.
This is according to Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) chairman Paris Mashile.
He spoke in response to a presentation by Uninet CFO Mulwell Rebelo, at the sixth annual Digital Africa Summit, in Sandton, this week.
The issue arose during a discussion on the High Court proceedings instituted by the Wireless Access Providers' Association (WAPA) asking for clarity on the right of VANS to self-provide networks.
WAPA believes VANS have held this right since 2006, but there has been conflicting messages on the issue, said Rebelo.
In response, Mashile said licences that ICASA issues to operators under the same group have to be similar in every respect.
This means that, in theory, VANs issued with I-ECNS licences have similar financial and social obligations as major players like Telkom, Neotel and the mobile network providers. “If there are differences, they must be justifiable,” he said.
Mashile also argued that the Electronic Communications (EC) Act already provided that VANS can self-provide networks through the class ECNS licence system.
A class ECNS licence allows telecoms providers to roll-out regional telecoms networks, but they cannot establish national backhaul infrastructure. “The terms and conditions are clear,” Mashile said.
No limit
ICASA previously argued that it is not trying to exclude VANS from gaining access to I-ECNS licences.
The regulator said it would convert current licences, and then ask VANS to present their business and technical plans to be considered for I-ECNS licences.
ICASA did not set a limit on the number of I-ECNS licences it would issue, said the official. The number of VANS gaining a licence will depend entirely on the number of VANS that qualify, he noted.
The Internet Service Providers Association of SA says it is watching the WAPA proceedings with interest. However, it neither approved nor disapproved of the legal action.
ICASA is also facing legal action from Altech Autopage Cellular on the issue of whether VANS have the right to self-provide networks.
The company launched an urgent application with the Transvaal High Court to interdict the ICASA process to convert licences to be in line with the EC Act.
The application also cites communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, Mashile and the 24 VANS that either participated, or indicated their willingness to participate, in the ICASA licence conversion hearings, as respondents.
ICASA says it is aware of media reports on the case, but would not comment further.
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2008/0803141044.asp
[Johannesburg, 14 March 2008] - Without an individual electronic communications network services (ECNS) licence, value-added network service providers (VANs), running WiMax trials, will not be allocated WiMax spectrum.
Spectrum shortage means that, of the 11 operators who received WiMax test licences, only three or four will receive permanent licences, say sources within the telecommunications regulator.
MWeb and Internet Solutions are among several VANs that have been involved in WiMax trials in the hopes of receiving spectrum from the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA). However, those testing the technology are not guaranteed to be awarded ECNS licences that are required for spectrum allocation.
An ICASA official, who asked not to be named, says operators participating in WiMax trials knew the licence was temporary. “WiMax tests do not guarantee that operators would be granted permanent licences,” he says. “The idea is to test, get the results and send them to ICASA; not to allow an operator to go on with a test forever.
“WiMax spectrum is very limited, and a large chunk of it was already allocated to Telkom, Sentech, Neotel and iBurst. At most, ICASA will only be able to allocate WiMax to three to four more operators,” says the official.
He also questions why operators are not looking at alternatives, such as spectrum in the 1 800 band. “ICASA has plenty of that spectrum and we can process applications starting tomorrow if an operator with an ECNS licence applied,” he says.
One step at a time
ICASA intends to hold public hearings on the VANS licence conversion process, at the Midrand Conference Centre, on Monday and Tuesday next week, and VANs are appealing to the regulator to consider them seriously.
Last year, Internet Solutions (IS) and MWeb were earmarked as two of six VANS eligible to receive ECNS conversion.
However, so far, both companies are only listed for guaranteed electronic communications services licences. “We are focusing on receiving the ECNS licence now, and we hope after the hearings next week that we have all the correct licences in place to be allocated WiMax spectrum,” says MWeb CEO Rudi Jansen.
He says the company can only “play with what ICASA has given”. MWeb has been trying to establish itself as an independent service provider, a position that WiMax would realise. “Anything can happen, we will just have to wait and see.”
The company did not say what strategies it would use as a contingency if ICASA denied the ECNS application.
Status quo
IS director of regulatory affairs Syabonga Madyibi says, if the company is not awarded the ECNS licence, it will have to refocus its strategy.
“Those VANs who want to play in the independent space need the licence conversion to compete with the incumbent providers. Those who are denied that conversion will have to partner with those who have it.”
If those providers are not licensed, the country's current environment stays exactly the same, he says. “And that would be not just a worry for IS, but for the entire country. Without added competition in the market, the costs of services will not come down.”
The Internet Service Providers' Association of SA (ISPA) has a strong view on ICASA's licensing process. “ICASA doesn't seem to have a WiMax spectrum allocation process. Their current approach is to deal with the licence conversion process and worry about spectrum later.”
ISPA says: “It is impossible to comment on the ECNS (individual) licence allocations, because ICASA's process for awarding these has changed three times in as many months.”
ICASA would not comment on the issue.
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2008/0803181040.asp
[Johannesburg, 18 March 2008] - The development of SA's five-year broadband strategy, which was to help the country come out of its broadband doldrums and drive strong penetration levels, was not included in the Department of Communications' 2008/9 priority list.
This is despite the DOC saying last year that the strategy would be finalised by 2008.
In its presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, earlier this month, the DOC announced plans to implement phase one of its wireless broadband infrastructure roll-out through Sentech, providing connectivity for 233 Dinaledi schools.
The department also prioritises the construction of the Uhurunet/Infraco government-supported submarine cable, and developing a programme of action to benchmark telecommunications costs, quality, availability, accessibility and usage in SA against Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia and South Korea.
Other broadband priorities include developing radio frequency spectrum usage policies in line with World Radio Conference 2007, and increasing universal access to government information and services through building Thusong Post Offices in 100 communities. The Thusong project is to be led by the South African Post Office.
However, the finalisation of the comprehensive plan that communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri initially said in 2006 would provide clear guidelines as to how SA planned to increase broadband penetration levels in a five-year period, is not included in the report.
DOC spokesman Albi Modise was unable to provide input about the fate of that process at the time of publication.
Local task team
In her May 2006 budget vote speech, Matsepe-Casaburri announced the formation of the Broadband Advisory Council to oversee the drawing up of this strategy.
The council was to be chaired by Dr Victor Lawrance, from Ghana, and include Dr Henry Chasia, executive deputy chairman of the Nepad e-Africa Commission. A deadline for the council's report was set for the end of 2006.
After failing to meet the deadline, the DOC said the strategy was put on hold pending the finalisation of the terms of reference that would guide the advisory council. It was also noted that the DOC would appoint a local task team that included ICT sector stakeholders.
Losing focus
IDC programme manager for communications in Africa Richard Hurst says it is concerning that the DOC is not keeping an eye on the ball with regard to medium-term broadband planning.
However, the lack of clear guidance will not have a major impact on the overall scheme of things. It will simply “cast a cloud” on the sector, he says.
However, MyADSL founder Rudolph Muller sees the absence of the strategy having a greater impact on SA's broadband penetration levels.
It fails to provide strong deadlines for licensing and spectrum allocation, and thus, hinders competition, he argues.
Muller notes that the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) simply implements legal directives and policies from the DOC.
If the DOC provided specific deadlines as part of the broadband strategy, ICASA would have to meet them, he says.
PowerFox: Monitor load shedding using Firefox - This is definitely something for our South African readers where rolling blackouts are becoming a way of life. A few bright sparks (pardon the pun) have got together and created PowerFox, an extension for Firefox 2 that adds a small icon to the browser’s status bar indicating the current power status as reported by the PowerAlert site’s RSS feed. Clever. Unless of course you’re in the middle of a blackout when I suppose you won’t need Firefox to point out the obvious. [tectonic]
Johannesburg - Megawatt Park was without MegaWatts on Monday when Eskom load-shedded itself.
The power company could not even access its own website to check which areas were without electricity - the server was down, said an official who asked not want to be named.
The Eskom head office in Sunninghill, northern Johannesburg, was without power from 10:00 until at least 12:30.
However, it had already switched off the pumps to its water features on Friday, when it became apparent that the power supply was tight.
Staff had to resort to actually climbing the escalators when they were switched off along with the geysers and the air-conditioning systems last week.
Each Eskom facility throughout the country had a designated official tasked with ensuring - when it became apparent that load shedding might be in the offing - that it was energy efficient.
"Naturally, all Eskom facilities have to be energy efficient," the unnamed spokesperson said.
There were rolling blackouts across the country on Monday when Eskom tried to shed between 1000 and 1500MW.
Apart from maintenance problems, a shortage of diesel was affecting the back-up gas turbines used to generate power in the Western Cape, said Eskom's general manager of demand-side management Andrew Etzinger.
A fixed load-shedding schedule was available on www.eskom.co.za and customers could direct other queries to Eskom's call-centre on 08600 37566.
The call centre was centrally located and was not affected by the power outage at Megawatt Park, Eskom said.
