Communications regulator Icasa has gazetted the final regulations on the use of “innovation spectrum”, formally settling one of the most contested questions in South African spectrum policy. In terms of the newly published final regulations, the lower 6GHz band (5.925-6.425GHz) will be licence-exempt and available to wireless internet service providers (Wisps), Wi-Fi deployments, private networks…
Councillor Thabisa Faye, chairperson of ICASA’s satellite licensing framework committee. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has published draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 2015, and the Radio Frequency Spectrum Fees Regulations, 2010, in terms of the Electronic Communications Act, 2005. The amendments are open to public comment for a period…
Herotel is currently South Africa’s third-largest fibre network operator behind Vumatel and Openserve. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has approved the licence transfer application of Herotel to Maziv subsidiary Vumatel. Maziv told ITWeb that ICASA approved the licence transfer application today. The approval follows the Competition Tribunal’s clearance of Vumatel’s acquisition of…
Communications regulator Icasa has formally signalled that it cannot give full effect to communications minister Solly Malatsi’s December 2025 policy direction on broad-based black economic empowerment without an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act (ECA). In a brief media statement on Wednesday, the regulator said it had communicated its position to the ministry and remained…
Communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi. (Image source: GCIS) The policy directive on the role of equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) in issuing telecommunications licences is still under review by the authority. So says communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi, speaking on 702’s The Clement Manyathela Show this week. The minister discussed various…
Communications minister Solly Malatsi’s declaration on Friday that his patience with sector regulator Icasa has run out is a small bureaucratic event dressed up as a much larger political one. The written statement issued by his spokesman was carefully phrased – Malatsi “expects to be provided with reasons for the lack of sufficient detail” in…
Communications minister Solly Malatsi Communications minister Solly Malatsi has run out of patience with Icasa over why the communications minister hasn’t allegedly yet responded in detail to his policy direction requiring it to review its licensing rules around black economic empowerment. The minister, a senior member of the DA in the government of national unity,…
Communications regulator Icasa has published draft regulations that will compel every licensed network operator in South Africa to submit detailed data on their fibre, towers, ducts, poles and planned roll-outs to the regulator on a bi-annual basis. The draft regulations on the rapid deployment of electronic communications networks and facilities, gazetted on Friday — read…
The number of pay-TV subscribers in South Africa fell below seven million for the first time in at least five years, dropping 9.6% from 7.4 million to 6.7 million in the year to September 2025, according to communications regulator Icasa’s latest State of the ICT Sector report. The decline adds hard regulatory data to the…
South Africa’s 5G population coverage surged from 46.6% to 58% in a single year, the biggest network coverage jump recorded in communications regulator Icasa’s latest State of the ICT Sector report — but rural areas remain drastically underserved, with some provinces offering next-generation connectivity to as few as 7% of their rural populations. The national…
