The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) is set to announce tomorrow the successful applicant in the invitation to apply (ITA) for mobile TV spectrum licensing.
“Council evaluated the applications, in accordance with requirements as stipulated in the Mobile Television Regulations and the ITA, and we are now ready to make a formal announcement to licence spectrum for the provision of mobile TV, in respect of the first and second ITA”, says ICASA chairperson Dr Steven Mncube.
This is the second attempt to issue licences to mobile TV spectrum applicants, as ICASA's first move was shrouded with controversy of unrealistic expectations and disqualified applicants.
Second try
The first ITA was issued on 16 April, giving broadcasters only thee weeks to submit a full business plan, technical specification and have available the R70 000 application fee.
At the time, then ICASA chairman Paris Mashile explained that one of the applicants, the Mobile TV Consortium, did not have a broadcasting licence, which is a requirement for the application and that was why the authority disqualified it.
According to Mashile, MultiChoice did not submit its application to the regulator in time, also disqualifying it from the process.
Super5Media submitted its application on time; however, it did not bind nine of the 25 copies of its submission, making it ineligible to proceed with the process.
Free-to-air broadcaster etv was, therefore, further evaluated, since the company made it to the next round of the application process, and subsequently received a mobile TV licence.
On 28 May, the authority published another ITA in order to fully license the MDTT1 multiplex.
ICASA received two applications, by the closing date of 28 June - from Super5Media and MultiChoice - in response to the second ITA.
The two applicants have complied with the preliminary requirements, notes the authority. ICASA will address relevant stakeholders on its decision at its offices at 10am tomorrow.
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