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• How does ICASA facilitate communications in South Africa?
• The Policy framework • Trends in retail prices • Call Termination • Universal Service • The Fixed Line Challenge • How can ICASA address the concern of high
prices? • What would ICASA like to do? • What can ICASA do?
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• Services cannot be offered without:
– Telephone Numbers
– Spectrum
– Type Approval
– Review of Interconnection Agreements to ensure fairness
• ICASA is the only body that does this in South Africa
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• Government policy is to address high prices through introduction of competition
– Competition Act of 1998
– Electronic Communications Act of 2005
• ECA:
– ICASA can regulate prices where a licensee has dominance and the market is not competitive
– Governed by Chapter 10 of the Act
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MTN 8ta
Cell C Vodacom
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
4 500
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth6
Vodacom MTN
Cell C
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2009 2010 2011 2012
30 outgoing calls/mnth 300 outgoing calls/mnth
900 outgoing calls/mnth
8ta
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Name of Operator No of tariff
plans Name of tariff plan
Vodacom 6
4U prepaid (Per second)
Vodacom 4 Less (Per second)
AllDay per minute
AllDay per second
Day Saver (per second)
Big Bonus Voucher (per second)
MTN 4
Muziq (per second)
MTN Zone (per second)
One Rate
Call Per Second
Cell C 5
Easychat Standard (per second)
EasyChat All day (per second)
EasyChat per second
EasyChat 99c
99c For Real
8ta 3
Per Second
Per Minute
Per Second 8
Both consumers and mobile operators have benefited from the reduction in MTRs due to: • Operators: Increase in both termination minutes and revenue • Consumers: Reduction in effective tariff per minute
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
1.25
1.3
1.35
1.4
10000
11000
12000
13000
14000
15000
16000
17000
18000
Ju
n-1
0
De
c-1
0
Ju
n-1
1
De
c-1
1
Ju
n-1
2
Effe
ctive
Tari
ff
Total Prepaid Revenue (LHS) Total Prepaid Minutes (LHS) Effective tariff (RHS)
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• Level of on- and off-net tariff differential by Vodacom & MTN
• On-net promotions by Vodacom & MTN could further increase in on- and off-net differential
• International voice tariff less than national tariff (Cell C R0.85 int. tariff, Vodacom R0.89 int. tariff) vs R1.04 industry effective tariff)
Operator International tariff
Industry
Effective tariff
Vodacom R0.89 to 52 countries R 1.04
MTN Discounts up to 100% to selected countries R 1.04
Cell C R0.85 to 50 destinations R 1.04
8ta Varies from R2.50 to R176 R 1.04
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• High termination rates: – Represent a price floor for the retail price of a new entrant – Retard efficiency within a firm
• Solution: – Establish cost base for call termination – Introduce regulated glide-path towards the cost base
• BUT Billing systems are the most expensive part of a call
End-user A
End-user B
Network A Network B
Origination Termination
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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Promulgation call
termination
regulations, GG 33698,
29 Oct. 2010
Mar 2011 - First cut:
• R0.89 – R0.73
Mar 2012 – second cut:
• R0.73 – R0.56
Mar 2013 - last cut:
• R0.56 – R0.40
Rate % reduction
Pre 2011 R 1.25
Voluntary reduction R 0.89 -29%
March 2011 R 0.73 -18%
March 2012 R 0.56 -23%
March 2013 R 0.40 -29% 13
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Pre-2010
March
2011
March
2012
March
2013
Nominal Retail
Rate per minute R 2.50 R 2.50 R 2.50 R 2.50
Termination Rate R 1.25 R 0.73 R 0.56 R 0.40
Margin R 1.25 R 1.77 R 1.94 R 2.10
Less
Origination
(estimation) R 0.60 R 0.60 R 0.60 R 0.60
Profit R 0.65 R 1.17 R 1.34 R 1.50
% change in
profit 80% 15% 12%
This benefit ONLY ACCRUES to the smaller
player
Only the smaller player has “regulated” pricing
power
The increased profit margin makes room for
price competition
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816 866 1027 1271 826 637
5425 5694 5683 5120
4108 3524
-4609 -4828 -4656
-3849 -3282
-2887
-6000
-4000
-2000
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
R'm
illio
n
Interconnection revenue Interconnection payments Net interconnection revenue (payment)
Telkom’s net position has improved by 37 per cent based on the termination rate reduction
R 0.0
R 0.2
R 0.4
R 0.6
R 0.8
R 1.0
R 1.2
R 1.4
Peak
Off-peak
The potential future? 1. Will further reductions
harm all stakeholders? 2. Slide 9 showed that a small
reduction in retail prices led to an INCREASE in revenue
3. Any future change in rates will be evidence-based
The future?
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• No. of households with fixed line access to communications continues to decrease
• Access to the Internet is growing because of mobile telephony
• Fixed lines are not as relevant as they should be
• The private sector mobile operators have made significant progress in achieving universal service objectives
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
2009 2010 2011
No access tocommunications
Fixed lines
Household memberwith Access to theInternet
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Data Bundle Price Download Speed
R331.37
1Mbps
R149
21.6Mbps
Fixed Line Mobile
• Fixed lines are not relevant because they cost too much for lower speeds
• This is out of line with the rest of the world
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• Fixed lines to the home must be the objective
• High capital cost but very low fixed operating cost for ̴unlimited capacity
• BUT: – Up to 80% of new fixed line network cost is civil
construction
– Delays in getting wayleave approval and water use licences artificially increase this cost
• We have to ensure efficient: – New network deployment
– Existing infrastructure, e.g. LLU 20
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High cost to communications?
High costs to Industry: • Infrastructure monopoly? • Barriers to network
deployment? • Lack of spectrum? • No spectrum sharing? • Import duties? • Volatile exchange rate?
High costs to end-users
• High costs to industry • Possible monopoly in retail
markets?
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Cape Town
Bloemfontein
JHB/PTA
Durban
International connectivity
National backhaul
Metro-ethernet
Local access
1
2
PTA
JHB Sandton
East Rand
3
JHB
Local switch
))))))
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Discussion Document
Initiate Enquiry
Data Collection & Analysis
Public Consultation
Findings Document & Draft regulations
Public Consultation
Implementation
Final Regulations
6-9 months > 4 months > 4 months On-going
Resource Needs • Economists • Cost Accounting • Statisticians • Engineers • Lawyers
Resource Needs • Economists • Cost Accounting • Statisticians • Engineers • Lawyers
Resource Needs • Economists • Cost Accounting • Statisticians • Engineers • Lawyers
Resource Needs • Cost Accounting • Compliance: Legal • Impact Analysts
Timeline: > 14 months 24
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• Cost model for voice value chain
• Cost model for data value chain
• Identify need for intervention
• Regulate prices where necessary
• Other obligations to be considered
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• Make High Demand Spectrum available ASAP – To new entrants
– To an open access network, and
– To the incumbents
• All this assignment of spectrum to have universal service obligations
• Expected impact: – Increase access for all
– Increase competition leading to lower prices and better choice
– GDP growth as per World Bank forecasts
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• Broadcasting Value Chain Analysis
– Improve competition
• Support development of Local Content
• It will be technically possible to have 140 SD TV channels in the UHF band.
• We want to make this happen!
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• The Challenge
– ICASA only has approximately R 20 million to do all its discretionary work
– One market review costs approximately R 5 million
• What is ICASA doing about this?
– We are re-prioritising our activities BUT
– We do not have sufficient funds to support parliament in all of its objectives
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