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UPDATE | Telkom takes Icasa to court over restrictions to bid for spectrum, out-of-court settlement reached

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Telkom and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Icasa) have reached an out-of-court settlement.

Telkom had taken South African telecommunications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to court over the licensing of the high-demand spectrum. It says the Authority had issued unfair restrictions on Telkom to bid for spectrum in the past auction and they needed ICASA to consider the competitive effect of spectrum arrangements.

Telkom says it is looking forward to the settlement as this will give it an opportunity to resolve current market challenges while allowing operators to focus on their business.

Operators have waited more than 15 years for ICASA to release spectrum licences that are needed to lower data costs and add network capacity as data demand has surged and smartphone adoption continues to grow.

A previous court ruling following separate objections from Telkom, broadcaster e-tv, and MTN Group prevented last year an auction of the high-demand spectrum ICASA is due to hold by the end of March.

Telecommunications regulatory body has published new data regulations that will curtail high out of bundle rates that mobile operators charge their consumers, but has extended the deadline for certain regulations.

Data struggles seem to be partly over. Monthly data bundles will now be rolled over at no cost.  A fight Icasa says is purely to protect the customer.

ICASA conducts the second round in the spectrum auction process: Willington Ngwepe

UPDATE: Government welcomes settlement between Telkom,Icasa

Government has welcomed the out-of-court settlement between Telkom and South African telecommunications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

In a statement Communications Minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the out-of-court settlement brings the country one step closer to the availability of spectrum licenses by the first of July as per the ICASA roadmap.

 

 

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