The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) intends to reallocate channel 65 for non-broadcasting purposes, giving USALs the hope that they might finally be allocated spectrums.
The notice of a proposal to use channel 65 (822-830 MHz) for non-broadcasting services was published late last month in government gazette number 28547. The notice also invites interested parties to submit written comments.
According to several Under Serviced Area Licensees (USALs), ICASA`s reassignment of spectrum would be a positive step for USALs, who have been waiting for up to a year for spectrum to be allocated to them.
ICASA media relations manager Vimla Maistry says other telecoms service providers, in addition to USALS, are interested in this band. The spectrum could also be used for fixed wireless access applications, she says.
Maistry says comments invited will address the issue of whether there is a need to deploy non-broadcasting services in this band and whether this deployment would be in the public interest.
"ICASA also wishes to address the issue of whether it is technically possible to deploy non-broadcasting services in the band, " she says.
Submissions will also look at whether it is possible to have broadcasting and telecommunications sharing in this frequency band without harmful consequences.
USALs hopeful
Thinta Thinta CEO Bule Mhlongo says this is a positive development for their company in particular. She says one of the conditions for Thinta Thinta to receive project financing from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) was that it has spectrum allocated to it.
The USAL expects to access R51 million for infrastructure and operational funding, and says finance agreements will be signed soon after spectrum has been allocated.
Another USAL that says it is ready to roll out infrastructure is Kingdom Communications. CEO Vusi Ndlovu says his company will make a written submission to ICASA, motivating for the spectrum to be allocated to USALs, and that Kingdom Communications should also be a beneficiary.
"It was sad that ICASA would grant us such a beautiful license on the one hand and then fail to award us appropriate spectrum on the other hand," he says.
Like Mhlongo, Ndlovu sees the possibility of ICASA granting spectrum to USALs as a gesture of support. He notes that negotiations with Kingdom Communications` infrastructure provider are at a very advanced stage and that funders are almost ready to come to the party.
"All we need is to have spectrum allocated to us and it`s all systems go," he says.
Submissions regarding the channel 65 should be sent to Calvo Mawelo at cmawelo@icasa.org.za.
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