LOC lambasts 'fearful' Mashile

Johannesburg, 27 May 2009

The 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) has hit back at Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) chairman Paris Mashile over comments he made yesterday during a breakfast function.

Speaking at the event in Rosebank, Mashile was quoted by several online and print publications as expressing “fear” and “foreboding” over local mobile networks' abilities to cope with increased traffic during next year's World Cup.

Mashile reportedly asked his audience how many of them have been satisfied with their service while on the move, and added that current mobile services are not mobile, but portable, “open to dropped calls”.

The reason for the high incidence of dropped calls, he stated, was that mobile service providers are oversubscribed.

"I have fears and foreboding for 2010," Mashile was quoted by I-Net Bridge as saying. "What happens if there is a serious accident and networks are all blocked? How will networks accommodate for all video messages when people want to capture footage of their favourite players scoring a goal? Perhaps there will have to be portable base stations on the move.

"We have promised that we have the necessary infrastructure, so let's hope we can deliver, but I am fearful."

Preparations on track

However, the LOC this morning lashed out at Mashile, saying his fears are “unfounded, misplaced and without any substance”.

LOC chief communications officer Rich Mkondo this morning rubbished Mashile's comments, saying the local organisers are working closely with network operators to ensure they beef up reception, capacity and quality of service.

“We are working very hard with our partners to ensure the 2010 World Cup is a success and we are confident everything will be in place for the tournament.”

Mkondo says it is alarming that the chairman of the country's communications regulator would make such statements, without first checking his facts.

“I don't know how he can say such things, especially when he has not been in contact with us to check whether there have been any issues surrounding the preparations for 2010 or whether we've received any complaints.”

ICASA was not available for comment this morning. However, it is likely Mashile could have been alluding to recent meetings between the regulator and the country's Big Three network operators, where the mobile providers were asked to explain a recent flood of complaints over network access, dropped calls and delayed SMS delivery.

ICASA summoned MTN, Vodacom and Cell C two weeks ago to explain the situation and the regulator said it may release a report on the outcome of the meetings, which it insisted did not constitute a formal investigation. Until now, ICASA has been mum on the issue, but it is possible Mashile may have let slip some of the findings.