Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Presentation to the Portfolio Committee of Comm

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Independent Communications Authority of South
Africa Presentation to the Portfolio
Committee of Communication on ICASA Strategic
Plan and Budget 13 March 2007Mr Paris Mashile

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Agenda
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Vision

• To be a catalyst in the transformation of the
• country into an information oriented society
• and knowledge based economy

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Mission

• To create a competitive environment for
• delivering a wide range of high quality
• Communication and Postal services at
• affordable prices in order to
• assist in the overall economic growth and
• social development of the country

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Value System

• SHARING A COMMON VISION
• Listening to others commitment and inspiration
• ENCOURAGING SYSTEMS THINKING
• Interconnectedness and alignment
• DEMYSTIFYING MYTHS
• Decisions based on reasoned and relevant facts
• Speak without fear, favour or prejudice
• Preach what you practice or walking the talk.

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Strategic Objectives

• Increasing the availability and quality of
  electronics communication services to domestic
  and business users
• Encouraging and maintaining a pro-competitive
  market through effective competition and
  transparent regulation

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Strategic Objectives

• Establish regulatory policies that promote
  competition, innovation and investment in
  services and facilities providing widespread
  access to ICT.
• Maximizing the net economic and social worth of
  the sector, including its strategic use as a
  catalyst for economic, social and technological
  development in other areas of the economy

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Strategic Objectives

• Provision to broaden economic participation in
  the sector by SMMEs
• Encouraging the injection of capital by domestic
  and foreign investors
• Encouraging and supporting the successful
  introduction of new technologies and services.

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Plan of Action

• Create a Competitive Environment
• Facilitate Interconnection
• Ensure Universal Service Provision
• Formulate Licensing Criteria
• Safe-guard the Independence of the Regulator
• Allocate the use of Scarce Resources
• Investigation Monitoring and Enforcement

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Create a Competitive Environment

• Complete policies and regulations covering market
  analysis and competition, interconnection, local
  loop unbundling and facilities sharing
• Facilitate the market entry of new licensed
  operators providing competitive voice and data
  services on a national and international basis

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Create a Competitive Environment

• SMP
• Place obligations upon designated SMPs
• Resale of their services
• Access to network elements e.g. LLU
• Provision of interconnection on cost oriented and
  non-discriminatory terms
• Compulsory cost oriented rates and fees

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Create a Competitive Environment

• Tariffs and Costing
• Develop an appropriate tariff regulation regime
  to assure competition and the widest availability
  of service consistent with a reasonable return on
  operators investments

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Create a Competitive Environment

• Broadband Competition
• Increase broadband competition from multiple
  technology platforms e.g. terrestrial co-axial
  cable two wire-line optical fiber satellite
• Encourage the provision of multimedia services
  through converged networks.
• Facilitate the roll-out of NGNs, IP services and
  Local Loop Unbundling.

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Facilitate Interconnection

• To be provided under non-discriminatory terms and
  conditions and in a timely and transparent
  fashion
• Regarding SMP or dominant players, the terms and
  conditions should be made publicly available in
  the form of an RIO
• In the case of a dispute the operators should
  have recourse to the Authority of arbitration.

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Ensure Universal Service Provision

• Provide for universal service obligation in a
  transparent, non-discriminatory manner
• Place on at least the major operators licence
  conditions specifically obliging service
  providers to comprehensive geographical coverage,
  voice, directory, emergency call services and
  reasonable tariff costs.

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Formulate Licensing Criteria

• Relevant provisions should include
• the criteria and period of time normally required
  to reach a decision concerning an application for
  a licence
• the terms and conditions of all types of
  licensing including the fee structure
• The reason for any denial of a licence
  application should be made known to the
  applicant.

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Safe-guard the Independence of the Regulator

• The Authority must function without any
  commercial and political interference
• The Authority is independent and must perform its
  functions without fear, favour or prejudice.

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Allocate the use of Scare Resources

• The allocation of scarce resources such as radio
  frequencies and numbers must be earned in an
  objective, timely, transparent and
  non-discriminatory manner
• Encourage the usage of digital technologies and
  new modulation schemes.

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Investigating Monitoring and Enforcement

• Monitor and investigate the activities of
  suppliers and enforce sanctions against
  transgressors in terms of the law or terms of the
  applicable licence
• Be unhesitating in challenging any unacceptable
  conduct on the part of market participants.

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Funding Model

• Effective regulation cannot be accomplished
  without adequate funding
• The attainment of regulatory objectives is
  contingent upon ICASA being able to procure
  skilled professional staff and consulting
  services
• Funding can be accomplished by allowing a defined
  proportion of revenues from license fees to be
  retained.

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Top Level Organisational Structure
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ICASA Councillors Tasks and Responsibilities
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Licensing

• Review existing licence conditions and convert to
  new Broadcasting Electronics Communications
  licences
• Issue new licences
• Network Licences
• Individual Class
• Service Licences
• Individual Class and registration of courier
  companies
• Exempt

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Policy Research Markets Competition (Cont)

• Political, economic, social technological
  forecasting
• Research and policy formulation on
• Broadcasting, Postal Communications Services
  and Networks
• New technologies
• New services and markets
• Analysis/intelligence

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Policy Research Markets Competition

• Complete policies and guidelines covering
• market analysis and competition,
• interconnection, local loop unbundling and
• facilities sharing

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Policy Research Markets Competition (Cont)

• Economic Regulations
• Competition Regulations
• Interconnection Regulations
• Facilities Leasing
• Tariff Regulations
• Co-operations with other regulators i.e.
  Competition Commission

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Legal Services

• Advisory services
• Litigation
• Contract Drafting and Vetting

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Consumer Affairs

• Monitor compliance with USOs by
• Broadcasting, Postal Communications
• Services and Networks Licensees
• Develop Consumer Codes of Conduct, Quality of
  Service and Service Charters

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Consumer Affairs (cont)

• Establishment of Consumer Advisory Panel
• Establishing Consumer Code of Conduct
• End-user and subscriber Service Charter
• E-rate
• Emergency services
• Regulations on people with disabilities (s70)

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Consumer Affairs (cont)

• Public education and awareness
• Broadcasting monitoring and enforcement
• i.e. PEB Political Election Broadcasting
• MoU with other institutions
• Advertising Standards Authority
• Films and Publications Board
• Enforcing code of conduct (s55)

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Complaints Compliance Committee

• Adjudication on Complaints
• Recommendations on Impositions of sanctions
• Complaints handling from consumers service
  providers
• Interconnection and facilities leasing dispute
  resolution

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Engineering Technology

• Review terms and conditions of current spectrum
  licences
• Development of standards and Type approval
• Scarce Resource Regulations
• Spectrum Management
• Local Loop Unbundling
• Relations with International Organizations e.g.
  ITU