Pretoria - The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has published a Draft Amendment to the Universal Service and Access Obligations (USAOs), for Telkom SOC Ltd (Telkom), Government Gazette No. 53506. This publication follows a request received from Telkom to amend its USAOs in terms of section 10(1)(f) and (g) of the Electronic Communications Act of 2005 ("ECA")

The amendment process was prompted by changes in the electronic communications market in recent years, in particular, the prevalence of mobile telephony and related technological developments. As a result, a few of Telkom’s legacy obligations have become obsolete, making a review of its USAOs necessary. 

The draft amendment largely entails substituting a number of outdated obligations with the requirement for Telkom to provide connectivity to 171 Thusong Service Centres across the country. Many of these centres currently lack proper internet connectivity. Thusong Service Centres (formerly known as Multipurpose Community Centres) function as a one-stop public access points for essential government information and services.

“The draft amendments form part of the ongoing work of the Authority to bring the legacy obligations on its licensees up to date”, notes Cllr Charley Lewis, Chairperson of ICASA’s Universal Service and Access Obligations Council Committee. “We need to ensure that such obligations imposed on licensees remain relevant to the current state of the sector, proportionate to the services they deliver and that they make a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of our citizens through access to relevant online content and services,” said Cllr Lewis. 

ICASA has considered various relevant factors, including those put forth by Telkom and has consulted with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). ICASA accordingly issues for public consultation the draft amended Telkom USAOs as set out in the gazette.

Furthermore, ICASA has noted that the public payphones as a service has fallen dramatically over the years due to the proliferation of mobile telephony, albeit with the exception of those at Correctional Services’ facilities. This portion of the obligation will accordingly be retained, but on a technology-neutral basis.

The requirement on Telkom to provide Maritime Emergency Services will also be retained for the time being, pending a commitment from the Department of Transport (“DoT”) to retain responsibility for the service, which it currently contracts out to Telkom.

ICASA hereby invites interested stakeholders to make written representations on the draft amendment process by the deadline date stated in the government gazette and submit to:usoproject2016@icasa.org.za.

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