The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) expects the regulator`s decision on its interpretation of the laws governing value-added network service (VANS) providers to be "unusual" when it is announced.
According to Ant Brooks, co-chairman of ISPA`s regulatory sub-committee, the organisation`s members submitted numerous and detailed questions regarding clarity on licensing issues to the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA).
"While we have not had a reply to these from ICASA as of yet, we are hoping for clear and detailed answers from the regulator when it does get back to us," says Brooks.
"We understand the pressure on ICASA and realise that some of the issues raised by our members were quite complex, so the regulator needs time to provide clear definitions to us."
Brooks says that although he does not want to pre-empt what ICASA will say, he expects the regulator`s interpretation to prove to be very interesting.
"I have a feeling we may see a change in the ruling as to how lines are leased, with the likelihood being that ISPs - rather than customers - will be made responsible for the renting of the line from Telkom, as this will clear up a lot of the current problems with defining exactly what constitutes a VANS provider," he says.
"Since we are at present hoping to hear from ICASA in this regard sometime next week, all we can do now is adopt a wait and see approach until they come back to us, after which we can look at their decisions and how these will impact on the market."
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