The Internet Service Providers' Association of SA (ISPA) has called on national telecoms regulator, ICASA, to confirm whether it's on track to meet the November 2011 deadline for the unbundling of the local loop.
Unbundling of the local loop is a regulatory process which allows telecom providers to use connections from within the Telkom core network to the customer's premises.
ISPA GM, Ant Brooks, says: "We are deeply concerned that we have yet to see draft regulations about local loop unbundling (LLU) from ICASA.
"Many industry commentators are expressing doubts that the regulator will be able to meet the deadline for this vital regulatory intervention. We therefore appeal to ICASA to provide telecoms users and service providers with an update about the status of the LLU process."
Breaking barriers
Brooks points out that the local loop is the single most significant contributor to high communications costs in SA. He adds that most of the country's local loop infrastructure is still under the control of Telkom, which built its network using public funds.
radio frequency spectrum licences in frequencies which are suitable for the provision of local access networks.
Brooks says: “The local loop is an essential facility which cannot reasonably be duplicated - this has been accepted around the world. LLU allows competition in this area, which in turn will result in lower pricing and better service for SA consumers.”
Open market
If this issue is quickly resolved, Internet service providers will have greater scope to provide a wider range of value-added services to customers, and to bring competition into the local loop for the first time, says ISPA.
Brooks adds: "Many of our members stand ready to transform the market so as to make it more open and competitive to the benefit of consumers and businesses, but they will struggle to do so without equitable access to local loop infrastructure.”
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