The regulator joins the list of voices to dispel claims that 5G is the cause of COVID-19.

As the fifth-generation technology era ramps up, citizens must be educated to position SA strategically, says Professor Tshilidzi Marwala.

Despite reports of a tumultuous past, the heads and CEOs within minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’s portfolio have committed their support to ensure delivery of key targets.

Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams signs a performance agreement, agreeing to ensure 80% of the population has access to the Internet in the next four years.

The council members will serve a four-year term and execute their mandate in the public interest, while the chairperson will serve the five-year term.

The communications committee snubs minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’s request to deviate from its recommendation in appointing the ICASA council.

Former ICASA councillors Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng and Peter Zimri are among the recommended nominees to serve on the regulator’s council.

The candidates are Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng, Peter Zimri, Luthando Mkutumela, Yolisa Kedama, Dr Charles Lewis and Dikeledi Mushi.

The departure of an ICASA councillor leaves the regulator’s highest decision-making body at the mercy of only three members, instead of the required nine councillors.

ICT veteran Dr Andile Ngcaba says ICASA’s law in its current state cannot drive digital transformation, amid mooted changes for the telecoms regulator.

Latest figures from telecoms regulator ICASA show SA’s smartphone subscriptions at 53.4 million, putting smartphone penetration at 91.2% in 2019.

Amid SA’s faltering economy, the telecoms sector continues to be the cornerstone for growth, with the fibre network and data centre markets expanding rapidly.