Telkom CEO Sizwe Nxasana says Africa`s telecommunications liberalisation offers many new opportunities, but what is needed are strong, independent regulators that are also skilled and transparent.
Nxasana was delivering the keynote address at the Digital Africa Summit in Cape Town today, following opening remarks by the Deputy Minister of Communications, Radhakrishna Roy Padayachie.
Nxasana briefly outlined the liberalisation process and explained how Telkom had changed to meet its new challenges. However, a strong regulatory framework was the essence of his speech.
"I firmly believe that one of the main issues to be addressed is the liberalisation of the telecommunications market through a sensible and transparent regulatory process," he says.
Naxasana says that a regulator must be independent, transparent, staffed by people who have a good understanding of telecommunications, the ability to regulate to ensure sustained growth, and a strong regulatory base.
He added that this meant the regulator must be free of political interference and that the regulator must exercise their independence within a national framework of policies and legislation.
"The regulatory process must support development of the sector and not impede it through petty issues.... Technology developments are fast and must not be impeded by out-of-date restrictions," Nxasana says.
Nxasana also touched on broadband deployment within the African continent, saying he saw the rapid deployment of a fixed line infrastructure to support interconnectivity and broadband issues.
"We know that in most countries on the continent, if you want to build a mobile network, two other networks need to be built - a backbone telecoms network and an electricity network," he says.
Nxasana says liberalisation has "re-energised" Telkom as its staff have realised that they are not the only player in the market. "We are now in competition with ISPs, call-back operators and others willing to offer services in this sector."
Nxasana believes an announcement about Telkom`s official competitor, the SNO, will be made "soon".
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