Sentech to return spectrum to Icasa
Sentech will return its 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
This is according to CEO of the state-owned signal distributor, Setumo Mohapi, who was addressing press at an event in Roodepoort today (9 April 2013).
Mohapi explained that they came to the decision after much consideration on how Sentech should be involved in the national broadband network plans of the Department of Communications.
When considering the matter, Mohapi said that Sentech concluded that the ecosystem in South Africa has changed in a fundamental way.
The fact that the cost of spectrum had grown tenfold was also a big consideration in returning the spectrum to the regulator – ICASA.
Industry analysts and players alike have long called for this spectrum that was assigned to Sentech to be taken away.
It is understood that this move will help simplify ICASA’s task of later assigning the 2.6GHz band so that it would be possible to roll out Long Term Evolution in its most popular configuration for that band (frequency division duplex, or FDD).
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