A letter, objecting to the awarding of frequency spectrum for mobile television broadcasting, from independent broadcaster etv, sparked the communications regulator to suddenly withdrawal the invitation to apply for such licences.
Yesterday, ICASA issued a notice in the Government Gazette stating it was withdrawing the invitations to apply (ITA) for radio frequency spectrum licences to provide mobile broadcasting services that it had originally issued in December.
ICASA councillor Robert Nkuna says the original notice was issued in response to a policy directive to the authority from communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri last year, saying such ITAs must be issued.
"The letter from etv, however, confirmed thinking that ICASA already had - that the frequency allocation for DTTV [digital terrestrial TV] must be allocated first and then the mobile TV frequencies," Nkuna says.
He says the ICASA committee dealing with TV frequency allocation had realised after the December public hearings that it would be wise to postpone the mobile TV ITA and reissue it once the DTTV frequencies had been finalised.
"The committee is in its final deliberations over the results of those public hearings and will deliver its findings next week," he says.
DTTV frequencies have not been finalised yet, although the country is officially in the transition period of migrating its aging analogue broadcasting system to digital. The switch off of the analogue system is scheduled for November 2011.
Matsepe-Casaburri has stated in her budget speeches of the past that she is keen to see the mobile TV broadcasting standard, Digital Video Broadband - Handheld (DVB-H), ready in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. This, she has stated, is to ensure as large a percentage of the population can view the games.
Nkuna says the withdrawal of the ITA should not impact the roll-out for such a broadcasting service for the 2010 World Cup.
"Our committee is due to hold more public hearings on the 11 and 12 March, and the finalisation of the DTTV frequencies should be completed soon after, and then the allocation of the mobile TV frequency multiplexors," he says.
In a written response to ITWeb, ICASA says it is "of the view that these matters should be resolved amicably, before mobile television is licensed. The intention is to finalise the DTT regulations and frequency plan by April 2009."
Vassilli Vas, etv spokesman, has refused to say anything about the letter the broadcaster sent to ICASA and referred enquiries to the authority.
Spokespeople for satellite TV broadcaster MultiChoice, which has been conducting a DVB-H trial, were not available for comment.
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