DEPARTMENT: COMMUNICATIONS

UNDER SERVICED AREA TELECOMMUNICATIONS LICENCE

1. BACKGROUND

The Under Serviced Area Licenses form part of the liberalization of the telecommunications market in accordance with provision of Section 40A of the repealed Telecommunication Act 103 of 1996 as amended. The Act provides for licensing of small telecommunication companies to provide telecommunication services in areas that have been identified to have a telephone penetration of less than 5%.

Twenty-seven District Municipalities were identified as under served areas, using demarcations as determined by the Municipal Demarcation Board. These areas were published by the Minister in Government Gazette number 22954 and 24204.

The Minister issued the first Invitation To Apply for USAL's in Government Gazette No.24204 published 19th December 2002. Seven applicants were granted licenses in the first phase.

2. LICENSING PROCESS

FIRST PHASE OF LICENSING

The following District Municipalities were licensed in the first phase in 2004:

1. Limpopo

 

·         DC35 Capricon District

 

2. KwaZulu Natal

 

·         DC21 Zululand District

 

·         DC26 Ugu District

 

3. Eastern Cape

 

·         DC15 OR Tambo District

 

·         DC 12 Amatole District

 

4. Free State Province

 

·         Lejwelepotswa District

 

5. North West Province

 

·         DC38 Central

 

3. SECOND PHASE OF LICENSING

The Invitation to Apply for the second phase was published on the 11th January 2005 and the closing date for the submission was 22nd April 2005. The following fourteen District Municipalities are to be licensed in the second phase:

1. Northern Province

 

·         CBDC4 Bushbuckridge

 

·         DC34 Vhembe District Municipality

 

2. Kwazulu Natal

 

·         DC27 Umkhanyakude

 

·         DC29 lIembe

 

3. Eastern Cape

 

·         DC Chris Hani

 

·         DC14 Ukwahlamba

 

4. Free State Province

 

·         DC20 Northern Free State

 

·         DC 19 Thabo Mafutsanyana

 

5. Gauteng

·         CBDC2 Metsweding

 

·         CBDC8 Westrand


6. Mpumalanga

 

·         DC31 Nkangala

 

·         DC30 Eastvaal

 

7. North West Province

 

·         DC39 Bophirima

 

·         DC37 Bojanala Platinum

 

Three licenses have been granted in this phase, and there are still outstanding licenses to be granted pending the submission of outstanding information by the applicants to ICASA.

4. LAST PHASE OF LICENSING

We are now on the third phase of licensing which is the last phase and the Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the third phase was published on the 7th February 2006 in Gazette No 28478 .The closing date for submission of applications for this phase of licensing was 28TH April 2006. The following Areas are to be licensed in this phase.

1. Limpopo Province

 

·         DC47 Sekhukhune

 

·         DC33 Mopani

 

2. KwaZulu Natal Province

 

·         DC22 Umgungundlovu

 

·         DC23 Uthukela

 

·         DC24 Umzinyathi

 

·         DC28 Uthungulu

 

5 CONCLUSION

ICASA has finalized all the licensing process and we are still waiting for them to give us the information, and we have come to the end of the licensing process for USAL'S.