South Africa’s Wireless Access Providers’ Association (WAPA) has called on South Africa’s communications and telecoms ministries to urgently focus on three key industry issues.
On Sunday, South African president Jacob Zuma announced Faith Muthambi as the country’s new communications minister, and Siyabonga Cwele as minister of the newly-formed department of telecommunications and postal services.
And WAPA, which has 200 members and acts as a collective voice for the wireless industry and independent network operators, says these departments need to focus urgently on the development of a white paper to create a framework ICT policy and the assignment of high demand spectrum.
South Africa lacks a national ICT policy while government has been slow to address digital migration, which is necessary to free up spectrum used by broadcasters to boost broadband adoption.
WAPA goes on to say it is also concerned by “the accelerating trend towards consolidation in the telecommunications industry” with reference to South African mobile network Vodacom’s plan to buy fixed line operator Neotel for R7 billion.
Even though WAPA has raised concerns about the deal in a statement, the body is seemingly not against the potential buyout either.
“Should the acquisition be approved with appropriate structures in place to promote and ensure fair competition, WAPA is of the opinion that the transaction could benefit the industry by providing a high-quality operator with nationwide reach, capable of delivering retail services to consumers, and wholesale services to the industry, including WAPA members.
“Neotel, a WAPA member, has an excellent track record of engagement and partnership with WAPA members in collaborative projects. It is WAPA’s hope that this collaborative approach would continue in the event of Neotel being owned by Vodacom,” says WAPA.
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