This finalisation gives effect to the 2019 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in which President Cyril Ramaphosa designated the Minister of Communications to issue a policy direction to Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for the licensing of high demand radio frequency spectrum. 

To this end, Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has extensively engaged ICASA with regards to the aforementioned policy directive and transferred R10 million to the regulator. 

These funds will provide for requisite additional human and financial resources. Ndabeni-Abrahams has further invited sector stakeholders to provide written submissions on their interpretation of the definition of the spectrum licencing process and a meeting is scheduled for 2 April. 

This is expected to fast-track 4G spectrum assignment, which operators have been waiting for for many years. 

It will also help transform the sector by attracting new investments while also hastening the growth of mobile communications in the country.

-SANews.gov.za