Communications regulator Icasa has gazetted the final regulations on the use of “innovation spectrum”, formally settling one of the most contested questions in South African spectrum policy.

South Africans experienced challenges paying with their cards and using ATMs following the severe storms that recently wreaked havoc in parts of the country. According to Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA) executive Paul Colmer, the problems were widespread and may possibly be related to a data centre peering issue.

For years, satellite internet access technology was viewed as expensive, high-latency, and relevant only in niche scenarios. That perception is now obsolete. This shift in thinking was strongly reinforced during a presentation by Dawie de Wet, Group CEO of Q-KON, at the Wireless Access Providers’ Association (WAPA) 20th Anniversary Conference held in Johannesburg in March, which drew a record 140 attendees and 24 sponsors.