Contrary to reports last week that suggested the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) had granted a call-back licence to Pinnacle Technology, the authority has denied this.
A call-back service allows customers to make international calls without using Telkom`s lines, by allowing the caller to send a signal to an offshore operator, which then calls them back with a dial-tone. The offshore operators are generally global players, the likes of AT&T or Sprint.
"ICASA has noted with concern the reports stating that it has granted a licence to Pinnacle Technology to provide call-back services," says senior communications manager, Jubie Matlou.
"The authority denies granting such a licence and wishes to reiterate that call-back services are illegal as set out in a ruling of the regulator (at the time the SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) published in Notice 1200 of 1997."
He says companies involved in developing the Pinnacle system had asked the authority for clarity on the legality of certain issues, and that the regulator clarified that the use of SMS, e-mail and Internet access are legal if provided by entities licensed in terms of the Telecommunications Act.
"The letters further stated that international calls originating in another country and destined for SA may only be carried into the Republic through an international telecommunication service or telecommunication gateway service operator licensed in SA," says Matlou.
Ruan Malan, one of the designers of the Pinnacle system, says the company asked for clarity on these issues because it uses out of band technologies - such as the Internet, WAP and SMS - to initiate the call, rather than using a Telkom line for this purpose.
"We want this to be a win-win situation. The fact is that Telkom will benefit to some degree, as the incoming call will have to come through their network somewhere along the way, so nobody will really lose out."
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