PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ENTERPRISES BROADBAND INFRACO BILL 01 August 2007
Jan 19, 2016
PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC
ENTERPRISES
BROADBAND INFRACO BILL01 August 2007
INTRODUCTION
USAASA Mandate Purpose of the INFRACO Bill Current Scenario USAASA Response to the INFRACO Bill Conclusion
EMBARK ON PUBLIC
AWARENESS
CAMPAIGNS ON ICTs
AND CAPACITY AND
TRANINING
PROGRANMMES
MANAGE THE
UNIVERSAL
ACCESS AND
SERVICE FUND
RESEARCH,
PROMOTE,
PROVIDE
GUIDANCE,
CONSULT THE
PUBLIC AND
RECOMMEND ON
UNIVERSAL
ACCESS AND
SERVICE
MONITOR AND
EVALUATE
PROGRESS
TOWARDS
UNIVERSAL
ACCESS AND
SERVICE
CORE MANDATES AREAS FROM THE EC ACT
USAASA CORE MANDATE
PURPOSE OF THE INFRACO BILL
Expand the availability of broadband access to underdeveloped areas
Owning infrastructure to provide affordable access to broadband services
CURRENT SCENARIO
Short-comings of narrowband: Inhibits E-education programs
Prohibits the delivery of e-government services
(general service counters)
Prohibits delivery on e-health
Limits community Access to information
Broadband infrastructure - developed
metropolitan areas
The high costs of broadband impedes the
effective delivery of Universal Service and
Access of all South Africans to ICTs
USAASA RESPONSE TO THE INFRACO BILL
Objects of INFRACO
Licensing of INFRACO
INFRACO Obtaining Rights
Way – under the INFRACO Bill
and the EC Act
OBJECTS OF INFRACO
Preamble of the INFRACO Bill
Expand broadband access to underdeveloped
areas
Owning communications infrastructure to provide
affordable access to broadband services
Objects of the INFRACO Bill (s 2)
Establish INFRACO
Objects of INFRACO (s 4)
Provide affordable broadband access
Proposal – state that object of INFRACO is also to
expand broadband access to underserviced areas
INFRACO LICENCE
The provision of a network is an ECNS in
terms of the EC Act
Only licensed ECNS providers may provide
ECNS
INFRACO is not currently an ECNS licensee
Therefore, it needs to:
either obtain an ECNS licence; or
be deemed to be an ECNS Licensee; or
be exempt from the licensing requirements by
ICASA
ALTERNATIVE TO LICENSING OF INFRACO
As an alternative to licensing, INFRACO may
contract with a licensee (such as Neotel) to
provide ECNS under its licence
In order to meet the object of the INFRACO
Bill, the contract must –
Guarantee open access to the INFRACO
infrastructure
Guarantee cost based pricing (from INFRACO to
Neotel and from Neotel to customers)
DEEMED LICENSING OF INFRACO
Proposal – the INFRACO Bill should deem
INFRACO a licensee in terms of the EC Act
Icasa should issue an ECNS licence to
INFRACO in terms of the current licence
conversion process
RIGHTS OF WAY
INFRACO Bill Section 6 – Servitudes Section 7 – Expropriation of Land
EC Act Chapter 4 – rights of way Ministerial Guidelines – not yet made Icasa Regulations – not yet made
USAASA supports additional rights of way envisaged Proposal – the provisions in the INFRACO Bill do not
negate any rights granted to INFRACO in terms of the EC Act
Proposal – Subject to Ministerial Guidelines and ICASA Regulations being made, provisions of INFRACO Bill must be revisited, as to align rights of way in both Acts
CONCLUSION
USAASA supports the intention in lowering the costs of communications in this country
USAASA welcomes the intention to expand broadband access to under-served and under-developed areas
USAASA offers to assist INFRACO, ICASA and Minister of Communications
USAASA hopes that all parties will make sure that INFRACO contributes to improved Universal Service and Access in South Africa
THANK YOU