Communications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA), has resumed its licence conversion process.
The procedure had been halted by the Altech court case, which resulted in the ruling that value-added network services (VANS) can self-provide.
Conversion of licences from VANS to electronic communications services (ECS) and electronic communications network services (ECNS) classes has to be done by year-end. This is part of the migration from the stipulations of the old Telecommunications Act to those of the technology-neutral Electronic Communications (EC) Act.
In its application to have the High Court rule that VANS be allowed to self-provide, Altech also asked that the licence conversion process, particularly of those selected VANS that could get individual ECNS licences, be stopped. ICASA did not oppose this part of the application. (Individual ECNS licences allow companies to build their own networks under the EC Act.)
Sekgoela Sekgoela, ICASA spokesman, says the resumption of the licence conversion process and the companies that will be allowed to have the new individual ECNS licences is part of the process the regulator had dealt with before the court ruling.
"We are just resuming our work and the authority has no plans to appeal the court's findings," he says.
In terms of ICASA's schedule, individual (commercial and public) broadcasting licensees must collect their converted licences and separate frequency licences in the week of 8 to 12 September. Class broadcasting licensees can collect theirs from 22 to 30 September.
Individual ECS and ECNS licence-holders, in terms of schedule A of ICASA's regulations, can receive their licences from 22 to 30 September, and those entitled to receive class ECS and ECNS licences will get them from 25 September to 1 October.
Schedule A licence-holders consist of a list of 27 companies that includes Altech Autopage, Amobia Communications, MTN Network Solutions and Internet Solutions.
Sekgoela says ICASA will award other licences not yet issued in due course and the dates will be promulgated in the Government Gazette.
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