The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) provisionally proposes letting new firms apply directly for individual network licences, in a discussion document published on 30 October. Newcomers can now enter only by buying one of 470 existing licences, most of them dormant, and winning approval for the transfer; Icasa approves about 11 transfers a year, and a pair of licences costs over R1 million on the secondary market. Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Rain were sceptical, while SpaceX, Amazon and Eutelsat backed direct licensing. The change would open the market to satellite and fibre entrants, but they would still face the 30% ownership requirement for historically disadvantaged groups. Comments close on 7 January 2027.
Sources
- TechCentral: https://techcentral.co.za/new-network-operators-south-africa-icasa/287940/
- Ellipsis: https://www.ellipsis.co.za/inquiry-into-issuing-of-new-individual-service-licences/
- ITWeb (background on licensing route): https://www.itweb.co.za/article/icasa-notice-sheds-light-on-starlinks-path-into-sa/JBwEr7n3zr2M6Db2