Universal service obligations regulations need to be revised
The universal service and access obligations that formed a condition of securing an electronic telecommunications licence in South Africa should be revised to be more proportionate to the size of the licence holder, proponents in the industry have argued.
Telecommunications groups Neotel and Telkom called on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to review the responsibilities placed on companies to deploy infrastructure and services to underserviced areas as part of their licence agreements.
The two parties were presenting at Icasa’s recent state of competition public hearings, held in Sandton earlier this month.
Currently, South African regulations, as part of a universal service and access programme, imposed a number of obligations on companies to meet Icasa-defined social targets before issuing any service or spectrum licence to operate telecommunications services in the country.
The regulatory framework, within the Electronic Communications Act, No 36 of 2005, aimed to ensure affordable, available and accessible communications infrastructure, content and services for all citizens in all areas.
Universal service governed the direct provision of telecommunications, broadcasting or postal services to households regardless of the geographic location, while universal access directed access to communication services on a shared basis, such as on a community or village-wide level.
The services included fixed and mobile telephony, Internet and fixed and wireless broadband – including telecentres and cyberlabs – as well as broadcasting services.
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