The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA)is threatening to revoke the licences of all class and individual licensees who fail to submit the necessary information to conclude their licence conversion before 10 December.
The authority says it has, on two occasions, requested that these licensees submit the required information to finalise the conversion of their licences.
However, most of the licensees have not been forthcoming with the required information, even after they were granted 90 days, from 19 January 2009 to 26 May 2009, claims ICASA.
Now the authority has indicated that this is a contravention of Section 93(6) of the Electronic Communications Act, which states that: “All holders of existing licences must comply with the terms of the notice for converting their licences published by the authority in terms of subsection (3), including supplying the authority with any information requested, and participating in any process set out by the authority for converting the applicable licences to meet the deadline for converting existing licences set out in section 92(6).”
ICASA says all affected licensees whose licences have been granted, but not issued, following this process, should they fail to meet the set deadline by 10 December, will have their licences revoked in terms of the applicable process.
Proactive approach
Independent telecoms analyst firm Ovum has commended the authority on the new proactive role it has taken over the past year.
In a new report, Ovum says after taking a relatively laid back approach for several years, ICASA has now become quite proactive in finalising and implementing regulations, which should help in encouraging healthy competition in the industry.
The report refers to the period over 2009-2010 in which ICASA finalised several regulations, including framework guidelines on interconnection and carrier pre-selection and quality of service regulation.
Related story:
ICASA completes license conversions
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