The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has published an information memorandum for the initiation of the second phase of the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum licensing process.
This will make radio frequency spectrum available to prospective licensees to provide mobile broadband wireless access services in the low- and mid-radio frequency bands.
Interested stakeholders have until September 19 to provide views on the IMT radio frequency spectrum bands to be considered by the authority during this second phase of the IMT licensing process.
The main aim of licensing the low- and mid-frequency bands within the designated frequency ranges is to increase nationwide broadband access for all citizens by 2025.
“The authority is of the view that the second phase of the IMT spectrum licensing process will provide additional capacity to licensees in order to meet the continuous demand for capacity growth in mobile services,” says Icasa councillor Peter Zimri.
“Moreover, this will contribute towards achieving the capabilities and requirements of IMT-2020 systems and beyond for the deployment of fifth-generation networks in order to achieve the South Africa Connect targets, as well as to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
The current IMT Roadmap process and the long-term spectrum outlook consultation signal the authority’s commitment to making the necessary spectrum available in an orderly and timely fashion.
“The current information memorandum is primarily focused to proceed with the licensing of the unsold Lot 9 in the 800 MHz radio frequency band, resultant from the inaugural auction, and those mid band IMT radio frequency channels that are currently and immediately available,” Zimri concludes.