Parly committee: Icasa’ spectrum auction long overdue but comes at right time
The National Assembly portfolio committee on Communications said that the auctioning of high-demand spectrum was long overdue to unlock economic opportunities in the digital economy.
Committee chairperson Boyce Maneli has wished the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) well in the long-awaited auctioning of the high-demand spectrum, which starts on Tuesday.
Icasa said on Monday that the auctioning of the spectrum would involve six bidders, which include Cell C, Liquid Telecoms, Rain Networks, MTN, and Telkom.
Icasa said that it stood ready for the long-awaited auctioning of high-demand spectrum starting on Tuesday.
The high-demand spectrum up for auction are from 700MHz up to 3,500MHz, which are needed for high-speed broadband as well as 5G.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address that the auction would unlock new spectrum for mobile telecommunications for the first time in over a decade.
Maneli said that although long overdue, the auctioning had come at the right time when the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies was also finalizing the analogue TV transmitter switch-off in order to migrate to digital.
He said that the two projects were important, not only with regards to the envisaged lower cost to communicate, but also because the spectrum would potentially bring in more content creators, whereas digital transmission would widen the broadcasting platform.
Once the bidding process concludes, Icasa will make a public announcement that will include the winners, the amount of spectrum they won, and the amount they will need to pay.
-EWN
In other news – This video of DJ Dimplez interviewing Riky Rick leaves Mzansi in tears
Mzansi music industry has really suffered a huge loss following the death of three of the OGs of the game in a short space of time! Barely a week after Hip Hop star Riky Rick was buried, Mzansi entertainment has lost another Hip Hop legend.
Multi-award-winning DJ Tumi Mooi, popularly known as DJ Dimplez passed away yesterday. According to the family statement, DJ Dimplez suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage. Learn More
