Johannesburg – The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) will hold public hearings with regards to the Discussion Document on Priority Markets, published on 16 February 2018.  The priority markets study is the second phase of the cost to communicate programme that will identify markets in electronic communications sector which will be subject to market reviews and possible regulatory intervention in terms of section 67(4) of the Electronic Communications Act read with section 4B of the Independent Communications Act of South Africa.

 ICASA received eight (8) written submissions on the Discussion Document of which only two (2) stakeholders indicated their willingness to participate in the oral representations before the Committee of Council. ICASA has, however, invited other stakeholders to participate at the hearings in order to clarify the details set out in their written representations.

 Due to the public outcry with regards to high cost of communications and in particular data services, in 2017 ICASA initiated a process to identify a list of markets that depict the likelihood of ineffective competition, which could be detrimental to consumers in the form of high communication prices, low quality of service, etc. The Authority subsequently published a Discussion Document on Priority Markets for public comment. In the Discussion Document, ICASA indicated that its preliminary view is that the following broad markets should be prioritised for market reviews (not in order of importance):

• Wholesale fixed access
• Upstream infrastructure markets
• Wholesale mobile services

The public hearings in respect of the written submissions on the Discussion Document shall be held on Thursday, 7 June 2018, at ICASA Head Office, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton. 

The Authority confirms that the schedule of the public hearings will be as follows:

Ends…

For all media enquiries please contact:

Paseka Maleka

011 566 3455

079 509 0702

pmaleka@icasa.org.za