Communications minister Solly Malatsi has formally scrapped plans for a government-backed mobile network, known as the WOAN. The WOAN, short for wireless open access network, was meant to be a national wholesale wireless operator.
Malatsi withdrew a directive that told Icasa to reserve radio frequencies for the WOAN. He did this in a final amendment to his high-demand spectrum policy.
“The affected spectrum is therefore immediately available for licensing by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa),” he said.
The freed spectrum covers the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. These frequencies are used for fast 4G and 5G mobile networks.
Malatsi said no national wholesale wireless operator was licensed in the seven years after the policy.
“Spectrum that remains unassigned is not a neutral holding position; it represents a continuing, foregone opportunity for coverage, competition and investment,” Malatsi said.
Icasa must now make sure operators with spectrum offer wholesale access to other providers on reasonable terms.
“ICASA must perform strict regulatory oversight to ensure compliance with this network and facilities leasing requirement,” the amendment states.
Malatsi said some licensed network operators and service providers could not get spectrum because it is scarce.
“This has an adverse effect on competition, contributes to the high cost to communicate, and serves as a barrier to entry for new entrants and SMMEs,” he said.
South Africa has considered a state wholesale wireless network for about 25 years. In 2001, the government named signal distributor Sentech as a common carrier.
Sentech launched the uncapped MyWireless service in 2004. Demand soon outgrew its bandwidth, and Sentech shut the service down in 2009.
The WOAN idea returned in the 2016 National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper. Mobile operators warned that holding back spectrum would slow their network rollouts.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Icasa gave operators emergency spectrum. Vodacom and MTN then rolled out 5G services around the country.
By March 2022, Icasa had auctioned much of that high-demand spectrum, raising R14.4 billion for the national fiscus.
Malatsi said government wants to make sure high-demand spectrum does not stay unassigned for long without good cause.
Source: this article is based on reporting by MyBroadband. Image: MyBroadband. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.