Licensing

We are further responsible for monitoring and ensuring the compliance of these broadcasting and electronic communications services.

Licensing and compliance 

Individual licences

In accordance with the Electronic Communications 2005 Act, section 5 (2), ICASA may, upon application and due consideration in the prescribed manner, grant individual licences for electronic communications network services (ECNS) and electronic communications services (ECS), as well as broadcasting services. 

ECNS, ECS and broadcasting services that require an individual licence include, but are not limited to:

• Electronic communications networks of provincial and national scope operated for commercial purposes
• Commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting of national and regional scope, whether provided free-to-air or by subscription
• ECS consisting of voice telephony utilising numbers from the national numbering plan 
• Any ECNS, ECS or broadcasting service where a state entity (directly or indirectly) holds an ownership interest of greater than 25% of the share capital of the person providing such service
• Other services that the ICASA finds have a significant impact on socio-economic development

Class licences

The Electronic Communications 2005 Act, section 5 (4), states that ICASA may, upon registration in the prescribed manner, grant class licences for the following:

• Electronic Communications Network Services (ECNS) 
• Electronic Communications Services (ECS)
• Broadcasting services

ECS and ECNS that require a class licence include, but are not limited to:

• Electronic communications networks of district municipalities or local municipal scope operated for commercial purposes
• Community broadcasting and low-power services, whether provided free-to-air or by subscription
• Such other services as may be prescribed, which ICASA finds do not have significant impact on socio-economic development

Unreserved postal services (courier services)

The Postal Services Act 124 of 1998, schedule 2(1), defines unreserved postal services as:

• All letters, postcards, printed matter, small parcels and other postal articles that fall outside the ambit of the reserved services set out in schedule 1, up to and including 30kg
• Courier services in respect of items mentioned in paragraph (a)
• Any other postal service that falls outside the ambit of the reserved services as set out in schedule 1 of the Act

Type approval

In terms of section 35 (1) of the ECA, "No person may use, supply, sell, offer for sale or lease or hire any type of electronic communications equipment or electronic communications facility, including radio apparatus, used or to be used in connection with the provision of electronic communications, unless such equipment, electronic communications facility or radio apparatus has, subject to subsection (2), been approved by the Authority."