PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 1660
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21 June 2013
QUESTION PAPER NO: 22
DATE OF REPLY:
Mrs. JD Kilian (Cope) to ask the Minister of Communications:
(1)(a)What type of spectrum was allocated to Sentech by the Independent
Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), (b) on what date was
the spectrum allocation made and (c) for what was the spectrum that was
allocated to Sentech used;
(2) Whether unused spectrum reverts to ICASA after some time; if not, why
not;
(3) Whether Sentech has made full payment for all its allocated spectrum
since the allocation was made; if not, why not;
(4) (a) what amounts in (i) spectrum and (ii) licence fees are
outstanding and (b) for which financial years is the money owed in each
case;
(5) How does her department intend to avoid a recurrence of underpayments
to ICASA which result in an audit qualification based on incomplete
spectrum and licence fee revenue collection?
NW2006E
REPLY:
1) (a) Sentech was allocated Radio Frequency Spectrum for Satellite Land
Mobile and Fixed Services.
(b) Radio Frequency Spectrum for Satellite, Land Mobile and Fixed
Services were allocated before and after 1996.
(c) Radio Frequency Spectrum was used for Satellite, Land Mobile and
Fixed Services.
2) According to the ICASA regulatory framework governing Radio Frequency
Spectrum Licensees do not automatically revert to ICASA if the
allocated spectrum is not used. ICASAâs new pricing policy encourages
users to relinquish spectrum if not used. The licensees can approach
ICASA prior the renewal of the Licenses (1 April each year) to seek
revocation of their licenses.
3) Sentech has made full payment for the allocated spectrum.
4) (a) Spectrum license fees for Electronic Communications Related License
Fees and Universal Service Access Fees (USAF) were paid in full.
(b) The Signal Distribution License fees owed to ICASA for the period
1996- March 2009 is R75Â 361Â 773, 20.
5) As part of the clean audit campaign, he Authority has published new
General Licence Fees Regulations in Gazette no. 36323, to remedy the
problem of unclear regulations and standardized calculation of the
annual license fee on 28 March 2013. With respect to any disputes
arising from license fees queries, ICASA has put in place payment
arrangements plans to recoup outstanding license fees.