South Africa: Tech, telecoms consolidation as ICASA, .zaDNA, and USAASA to merge

Telecompaper | South Africa’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services has presented its plan to consolidate the entities responsible for regulating the country’s ICT sector, reports MyBroadband. Minister Siyabonga Cwele said regulation is currently spread across different entities, including the Ministry, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), South Africa’s Internet domain authority (.zaDNA), and The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA).

Duplication of roles

This separation, Cwele said, has resulted in overlaps and duplication of roles, and a lack of coordination between entities. He said the regulation of infrastructure, networks, and radio frequency spectrum requires very different Constitutional imperatives than those that underpin the regulation of content or broadcasting. In this regard, says the minister, the ICT Sector Commission and Tribunal Bill creates a consolidated regulator as envisaged in the White Paper.

The new bill provides for the creation of an authority to regulate the ICT sector. This includes – regulating the electronic communications sector; internet governance; licensing and regulation of electronic communications networks and services among others. The ministry said that as a result of the new plan, the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) will be dissolved. The existing Universal Service and Access Fund will be transformed into a standalone funding agency to support universal service and access.