southafrica
Note well: this is a historic ruling. If you live in South Africa then chances are that you'll be affected by it - whether you care about computers and telephones etc. or not At the end of the post there are two other links to stories about the same thing at other websites.
Johannesburg - The South African telecommunications landscape has been fundamentally changed as of Friday morning when a judge ruled in favour of Altech Autopage's High Court application essentially appealing for all network service providers be allowed to build their own networks.
It effectively takes the "managed" part out of the liberalisation process and could throw the market wide open to competitive forces.
The judgement means that telecommunications regulator Icasa - unless it appeals - would have to cast aside its competitive process for determining which value-added network service providers (Vans) qualify for Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) licences under the Electronic Communications Act, and grant these to any operators that want to build their own networks.
The winners will be those operators that have the funding, and importantly the black economic empowerment (BEE) credentials (Icasa says they'll need 51% BEE ownership), to be able to successfully apply for WiMax spectrum to build their own wireless networks.
The losers will be Vans like Vox Telecom, M-Web and Internet Solutions (among the front runners in Icasa's competitive process), because although they too will be awarded ECNS licences, they'll have their competitive advantage eroded somewhat.
The matter dates back a 2004 ministerial determination in which Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri made a statement that as of 1 February 2005, "value-added network services may also be provided by telecommunications facilities other than those provided by Telkom and the second national operator or any of them".
Icasa interpreted this as that the Vans could self-provide, but later backtracked. The minister argued she had never intended that to be the case, and this is the line that she and Icasa fought in response to Altech's court application.
Icasa also argued that it would be impractical to let all 600-odd Vans dig up the country's roads to lay their own networks.
The reality is that not all would be able to afford to do so. But, the situation would arguably have to be carefully controlled to minimise disruption and chaos on the roads.
It was always mind-boggling that the minister's confusing determinations were never challenged in court - before now, that is.
Perhaps the explanation lies somewhere in the fact that the confusion benefited some, who took advantage of the grey area to build their own networks anyway.
* Altech management is expected to release a statement later this afternoon. Fin24.com will also endeavour to get comment from the other parties.
These URLs link to other stories about the same topic
Traffic Fines can now be paid any time, anywhere in a safe and convenient way via Cellphone Banking from FNB. Previously, traffic offenders had to travel to the traffic department and stand in long queues to pay their traffic fines. The traffic fine payment functionality on Cellphone Banking from FNB eliminates this hassle. FNB currently processes payment for the following Municipalities:
- City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality,
- City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality,
- Drakenstein Municipality,
- Dithlabeng/Bethlehem Municipality,
- Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality,
- Emfuleni Local Municipality,
- Ga Sekgonyama (Kuruman) Municipalty,
- George Municipality, Hibiscus Coast (Port Shepstone KZN) Municipality,
- Kungwini Local Municipality,
- KwaDukuza Municipality,
- Midvaal Local Municipality,
- Piet Retief Municipality,
- Potchefstroom Municipality,
- Sunday's River Valley Municipality
How can you pay your traffic fine?
If you are an FNB account holder, register for Cellphone Banking today and have easy access. The process is simple. Dial *120*321# on your cellphone.
You will need to key in the unique traffic fine reference number that identifies the traffic offence. Select the account you wish to transact from if there's more than one account linked to your Cellphone Banking profile.
A confirmation screen with the traffic fine details (reference number entered, amount due and car registration number) will be displayed for you to confirm. After you confirm the traffic fine payment, the money is debited from your account and transferred into the relevant traffic department account. You will receive confirmation of the payment success via an SMS message.
And it's that easy. So be sure to use this simple and secure option to pay your traffic fines today!
For more information on how we can help you take the hassle out of paying your traffic fine, call us on 0861 313 210.
Terms and conditions and standard cell rates apply.
[Johannesburg, 22 July 2008] - The Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Intelligence will next Wednesday hold public hearings on the Intelligence Services Amendment Bill and the National Strategic Intelligence Amendment Bill that will, among other objectives, beef up the state's ability to bug the public.
The two Bills insert new definitions into existing intelligence-related laws, but also set out to create the National Communications Centre (NCC), currently an espionage unit within the National Intelligence Agency, as a separate agency.
Ministry of Intelligence legal advisor Kerensa Millard recently told Parliament 500 posts had been approved for the NCC and 300 of these were filled.
The NCC has been described as a “state-of-the-art communications monitoring section” that conducts signal and data interception – including that of cellphone calls and e-mail – in terms of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act.
[Johannesburg, 10 July 2008] - Seacom, the venture capital company that is laying a cable down the east coast of Africa, says the first length of cable will slip below the waves just over two months from now.
Spokesman Fred Cornet adds that the 1.28Tbps cable, which will link Johannesburg directly with Marseilles in southern France and Mumbai in India, will be in service from 1 June next year. This is just in time for the FIFA Confederations Cup that kicks off later that month.
“The cable is in the final stages of manufacturing and the first shipload will be deployed around September,” says Cornet. “Seacom has already been working with key broadcasters and can easily meet their requirements.”
The Seacom cable consists of two fibre pairs with a 1.28Tbps capacity between SA and Mombasa, Kenya. On the way, the cable lands at Maputo in Mozambique, Toliary in Madagascar and Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. The cable from Mombasa to Marseilles has a 640Gbps capacity (and lands in Djibouti while passing through Egypt). The link from Dar-es-Salaam to Mumbai in India will also have a 640Gbps capacity and may branch to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Appointments
Meanwhile, Mauritius-based Seacom has appointed Craig Wilson as chief financial officer and Jean-Louis Parmentier as chief operating officer.
“With less than 12 months to commissioning date, Craig and Jean-Louis add critical mass to Seacom's operational readiness,” says Seacom president Brian Herlihy.
Wilson, a South African, is a registered chartered accountant who previously worked at First Africa (an associate of Standard Chartered Bank) and Nedbank Capital.
Parmentier is a civil engineer specialising in telecommunications and was formerly CE of Afrilink and then M-Link (both affiliates of Telecel International).