World Dialogue on Regulation

According to a report by SAPA (the South African Press Association), today, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) granted four licenses for under-served areas.

Mandla Langa, ICASA’s chief executive, awarded licenses to Bokone Telecoms of the Capricorn district of Limpopo, Thinta Thinta Telecoms of the Ugu district municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, Kingdom Communications of the Zululand district of KwaZulu-Natal and Ilizwe Telecoms (Itel) of the OR Tambo municipality in the Eastern Cape.

"We can now get on with what we set out to do... increase teledensity," said Kingdom Communications chief executive Sifiso Mbatha.

Kingdom will make a decision within two weeks on its roll-out plan, intended to reach one million people.

"The worst-case scenario is it will take six months to get up and running," Mbatha said.

Justice Zotwa, director of Itel, said the license would stimulate the economy in that part of the Eastern cape.

"We are involved with 140 small medium and micro enterprises which will now benefit by providing catering, security and the provision of IT (information technology) equipment."

He expects the telecommunications network to be launched by February 2005. Approximately 1.7 million people live in Itel’s area and the company expects to reach 10% of that population within the next two years.

Intelecon Research & Consultancy Ltd. 05/11/2004