Business foyer group the Affiliation of Comms & Know-how (ACT) needs a minimum of a few of the spectrum beneath 694MHz, which is at present occupied by broadcasters, to be reallocated for telecommunications companies.
Chatting with the TechCentral Present in an interview final week, ACT CEO Nomvuyiso Batyi cited the convergence of broadcasting and web streaming companies as the primary purpose why South African operators ought to have entry to spectrum that has traditionally been reserved for broadcasters.
“If all of us agree that the longer term is digital, and if all of us agree that the longer term is video – the metaverse and every part that comes with that – then it goes with out saying that South Africa must have the dialog as to the spectrum that ought to go to telcos (telecoms corporations),” stated Batyi.
“I do know it takes a very long time for our sectors to agree, however I don’t perceive the rationale for holding onto [the spectrum] when the everybody goes digital,” she stated.
Communications regulator Icasa manages spectrum by way of two distinct processes: allotment and task.
Allotment merely declares what a specific block of spectrum goes for use for. Broadcasting, cell telecommunications and maritime communications are examples allotment classes.
Task, then again, provides a selected licensee the precise to make use of a block of spectrum, or half thereof, to deploy companies of the kind its allotment signifies. Learn extra on the topic right here.
Spectrum assignments are utterly inside Icasa’s purview. Allotments, then again, are agreed to within the boards of the Worldwide Telecommunication Union, which is a part of the United Nations. This discourages fragmentation in the way in which completely different nations or areas deploy spectrum, limiting the potential for interference between completely different companies.
Area 1
The ITU divides the world into the three areas – creatively named Areas 1, 2 and three – with South Africa falling in Area 1, which is comprised of Europe, Africa, the Commonwealth of Impartial States, Mongolia and the Center East west of the Persian Gulf, together with Iraq.
On the 2023 World Radiocommunication Convention (WRC) in Dubai, the ITU declared that for Area 1, the 470-694MHz bands ought to be allotted to broadcast companies. A footnote to the declaration does, nevertheless, create some exceptions to this rule for sure member nations, the place some cell companies have been allowed inside these bands. However for South Africa, the complete band is solely reserved for broadcasting.
Learn: As South Africa dawdles on DTT, tv expertise strikes on
South African broadcasters have already vacated the 694-862MHz bands, often known as the “digital dividend” bands, to make method for cell operators that bought entry on the 2022 spectrum public sale.
“In lots of nations, there’s a sovereign nationwide obligation on the availability of broadcasting companies. The frequency band 470-694MHz is a harmonised band used to supply terrestrial tv broadcasting companies on a worldwide scale,” stated the ITU on the 2023 WRC convention.
The argument for giving broadcasting spectrum to cell operators is that broadcasting and broadband companies are converging. Applied sciences similar to 5G Broadcast and HbbTV, which have began changing conventional broadcast companies in additional superior economies, are examples of this convergence. ACT believes operators have extra of a job to play as next-generation broadcast expertise matures, they usually want the spectrum to take part. However native broadcasters don’t agree.
Final month, in a written submission to Icasa on the assessment of the digital migration laws of 2012, MultiChoice Group stated adequate spectrum ought to be put aside to permit broadcasters to supply richer companies similar to HD (together with 4K) channels and specialised 5G broadcasts utilizing terrestrial frequencies, that means cell operators mustn’t get any of the spectrum traditionally reserved for terrestrial broadcasting.
“It will hopefully enable digital terrestrial tv operators to construct commercially viable DTT bouquets, together with the availability of HD channels. The mechanics of how this spectrum can be allotted and licensed is likely one of the key points that have to be addressed on this inquiry,” stated MultiChoice. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
