The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has extended the deadline for written comments on Cell C`s request to include Vodacom and MTN in the category of "major operator" to 15 July 2003.
Rossana Achterberg, a spokesman for the authority, says that although a couple of submissions had already been received by the original cut-off date, certain operators requested an extension to the deadline.
"ICASA contacted the major players in the industry in regard to the extension and as there was no opposition to it, we allowed an additional two months for comment to be submitted," says Achterberg.
"The authority also saw no grounds for not extending the deadline, as it will give players more time to prepare their submissions. This is, after all, quite a big issue in the industry."
Moneyweb recently reported that should Vodacom and MTN be declared dominant players, the operators would be liable to provide essential services, such as interconnect fees, at cost price.
According to ICASA`s Supplementary Interconnection Guidelines published in December last year, a dominant player is defined as having a 35% market share.
In their latest respective annual reports, Vodacom defines its SA market share at roughly 60%, and MTN at 40%, although Cell C`s more than one million subscribers have subsequently taken market share from both operators.
In other news, ICASA has given notice that Vodacom has applied for amendments to its national mobile cellular telecommunications service licence.
The proposed amendments include changes to the definitions of "GSM", which proposes including a reference to operating in the 1800MHz frequency band; "Interconnection Agreement", which proposes including references to carrier of carriers licensees, underserviced area licensees and other persons licensed to provide telecommunication services under section 34(2)(a) of the Telecommunications Act; and "Retail Business", which proposes including a reference to carrier of carriers.
A definition of "underserviced area licensee" is also proposed.
Other amendments include reference to the 1800MHz frequency band in section 2.1(a) of the licence; the insertion of the words "of any PSTS licensee" in the place of the word "Telkom" in section 2.1(c); the insertion of a reference to carrier of carriers in section 3.4; and the insertion of the words "the relevant PSTS operator" in the place of the word "Telkom" in section 3.5.
Interested parties have been invited to make written representations to the authority, regarding the proposed amendments, by 12 June 2003.
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