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South Africa’s ICT sector needs policy and regulatory changes to keep up with emerging technologies, Icasa chairman Mothibi Ramusi said in an interview.
Technological advances such as satellite internet and artificial intelligence are forcing governments and communications regulators worldwide to revamp their oversight of the industry.
Ramusi, the recently appointed chairman of Icasa — South Africa’s communications regulator — said one of his priorities is ensuring the regulator adapted to change.
The regulator is working on finalising its five-year strategy plan, which will guide its priorities going forward.
“As we have it right now, our legislative frameworks are still a barrier to leapfrog into the future,” he said on the sidelines of a technology conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
“The first priority to get things right is we need to revamp the entire ICT framework. The policy needs to be reviewed, the Icasa Act and other associated acts, like the Electronic Communication Transaction Act.”
South Africa is yet to sign into law proposed amendments to the Electronic Communications Act, which have been in discussion for years. The bill, among other things, proposes new regulations for mobile virtual networks and allows spectrum sharing.
Icasa has also initiated an inquiry into the licensing framework for satellite internet providers to provide clear rules for potential operators in the country, amid the growing demand for Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
‘We are embracing that’
Submissions for comments were closed this week and Icasa will analyse the inputs and begin public consultations before finalising the appropriate licensing framework, Ramusi said.
“We are mindful that while you’re talking infrastructure expansion, there are other areas where you might not be able to connect people with what you call terrestrial infrastructure,” Ramusi said. “So, satellite becomes another infrastructure layer that we need because you need rapid deployment. In South Africa, we are embracing that.”
Read: Starlink is already at capacity in some African cities
South Africa was one of the first few African countries where Starlink wanted to launch its satellite internet but is rumoured to be hindered by the country’s regulations, which require foreign-owned companies to sell a 30% stake to historically disadvantaged groups in order to operate in country. — (c) 2024 Reuters
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