opinionThe ANC's inability to recognise the importance of telecoms and to appoint a competent minister is why South Africa hasn't auctioned frequencies for 15 years. Just when it seemed South Africa would finally get new spectrum licensed for the first time in 15 years at a month-end auction, a legal spanner has brought it to a halt. Telkom, the third-largest operator, complained that the auction rules would favour the two biggest players, Vodacom and MTN, so it sued the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) last year. Telkom was joined by broadcaster e.tv in winning the interdict - for different concerns about the same spectrum. Currently, the 700MHz and 800MHz ranges are used by good old-fashioned tele-vision signals - which people can still pick...

Source: The North Africa Journal March 17, 2021 22:41 UTC