The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has announced plans to auction additional high-demand radio frequency spectrum in its 2025/26 financial year.
It had previously planned to hold an auction in early 2024. However, Telkom asked the regulator to postpone it until 2025.
According to Icasa’s annual performance plan for the 2024/25 financial year, preparation for the auction is not included as a project.
Acting chairperson Yolisa Kedama signs the plan. Mothibi Ramusi was sworn in as full-time chairman on 4 April 2024.
Rest assured, Icasa has committed to concluding the necessary groundwork, preparatory process, and research over the next 12 months, ensuring a well-prepared and fair auction.
It stated, “[Icasa will] formally embark on the auction and the licensing process for the next phase of IMT spectrum assignment in the 2025/26 FY.”
“This planned auction will make available both the spectrum not assigned in March 2022 and the additional spectrum provided for through the ongoing IMT Roadmap process.”
As a key player in the telecommunication sector, Icasa is crucial in expediting South Africa’s digital transformation. This was underscored in its recent announcement about the upcoming spectrum auction.
Citing the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan — quoted below — Icasa said it aligns with the plan through the contribution it is expected to make as a regulator in the sector.
In a significant move, Icasa announced in April 2023 its plans to hold a high-demand spectrum auction in early 2024. However, this plan was later revised due to various factors.
This was according to Charley Lewis, chair of the committee that had finalised the regulator’s latest Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plans (RFSAPs).
Lewis said the finalisation of the RFSAPs marked a crucial milestone in making spectrum available to licensees and freed up critical additional spectrum for the auction it planned to hold before the end of March 2024.
“Icasa is already considering additional spectrum bands for further public consultation in the form of a new round of Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plans,” said Lewis.
“A forward-looking approach to spectrum is vital to enable the development of new services to meet the evolving demands of the market.”
However, in November 2023, Telkom appealed to Icasa to postpone the spectrum auction until 2025 and threatened to refrain from participating if Icasa held it in 2024.
Telkom said Icasa still needed to complete studies to prepare for the auction and that the current challenging economic environment would make it difficult for it and others to participate.
