A Message from WAPA
May 2026 has been nothing short of historic for South Africa's wireless industry. ICASA has gazetted the final Innovation Spectrum Regulations — a landmark we have championed for over a decade. Our 20th anniversary regional events are gaining momentum, and our engagement with government continues at the highest levels. Thank you for your continued membership and support.
Kicking Off 20 Years: Irene Regional Event Recap
19 March 2026 — Irene Country Lodge, Centurion, Gauteng
WAPA's 20th Anniversary Regional Event Series Kick-Off
WAPA launched its 20th anniversary regional event series with a memorable gathering at the iconic Irene Country Lodge in Centurion. The event brought together wireless industry leaders, regulators, and technology innovators for a day of substantive discussion on the future of wireless connectivity in South Africa. The occasion was made all the more special by three distinguished guest speakers who brought unique insights from regulatory, research, and policy perspectives.
Distinguished Guest Speakers
Councillor Thabiso Faye | ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa)
ICASA Councillor Thabiso Faye delivered a landmark address confirming that ICASA's formal regulatory process for designating dynamic spectrum licensing in the lower 6GHz and N77 5G bands was at an advanced stage. Councillor Faye's address offered members a direct line of sight into the regulator's thinking, underscoring ICASA's commitment to enabling innovation while managing coexistence between services. His participation represented a significant show of engagement between the regulator and the WISP community.
Professor Luzango Mfupe | CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)
Professor Luzango Mfupe of the CSIR provided a deep-dive into the technical architecture underpinning dynamic spectrum sharing — specifically the Universal Spectrum Switch (USS) database system that will manage coexistence in the new shared bands. The CSIR is widely regarded as the likely operator of the USS, making Professor Mfupe's presentation especially pertinent for WAPA members seeking to understand how dynamic licensing will work in practice. His presentation demystified the coexistence simulation studies and field experiments — including work conducted in Durban — that informed the final regulations.
Peter Zimri | Regulatory Specialist
Regulatory specialist Peter Zimri provided invaluable context on the broader spectrum policy landscape, covering the intersection of South Africa's ICT Sector Code, equity-equivalent investment programmes, and the practical implications for smaller WISPs navigating the regulatory environment. His perspective bridged the gap between high-level policy and on-the-ground operator realities.
The Irene event also featured vibrant networking sessions, member awards, and a panel discussion on the rapid rise of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services. Rather than viewing providers such as Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon Leo as competitors, speakers urged WISPs to embrace satellite as an additional technology in their portfolios, noting that established WISPs hold unique advantages in local customer relationships and technical expertise in WiFi and distribution of the connectivity. The satellite providers get the connectivity to the door , The SMME Wisp’s do the rest. This was reflected in a conversation and article from Paul Colmer and Dr Dawie de Wet.
Paul Colmer also presented at the ISPA iWeek / ZANOG conference in Irene on WAPA and Dynamic Spectrum Allocation. Paul delivered a thought-provoking session on dynamic spectrum and the future of wireless connectivity.
As one of South Africa’s most influential voices in wireless networking and spectrum policy, Paul unpacked:
- The current landscape of the fixed wireless access market
- Key regulatory developments affecting wireless ISPs
- WAPA’s priorities for the year ahead
- The evolution of spectrum policy and the case for dynamic sharing
- The role of infrastructure sharing in scaling access
- Practical strategies for extending broadband into underserved communities
Paul continues to be a leading voice in the WISP and spectrum policy space, with a proven track record across initiatives such as TV White Space deployment and advocacy for unlicensed 6GHz and 5G n77 band spectrum.
His message cuts through the noise: sustainable digital growth depends on open access, collaborative policy, and enabling smaller providers to thrive.
As demand for connectivity accelerates, these aren’t just industry conversations—they’re the blueprint for South Africa’s digital future.
WAPA’s 20th Anniversary Regional Event Series – Second Stop: White River, Mpumalanga
On 7 May 2026, WAPA’s 20th Anniversary Regional Event Series continued its journey across South Africa with a successful second stop at The Winkler in White River, Mpumalanga.
Building on the momentum of the series launch, the event brought together wireless industry leaders, network operators, regulators, technology innovators, and stakeholders from across the region for a day of meaningful engagement and discussion. Against the backdrop of Mpumalanga’s scenic Lowveld, attendees explored the opportunities, challenges, and future direction of wireless connectivity in South Africa.
The gathering provided a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration, highlighting the critical role that wireless technologies continue to play in connecting communities, driving economic growth, and enabling digital transformation.
As WAPA celebrates two decades of championing wireless access and innovation, the regional event series continues to strengthen industry relationships and foster conversations that will help shape the future of connectivity across South Africa.
Landmark Regulatory Win: ICASA Publishes Final Innovation Spectrum Regulations
Gazetted: 22 May 2026 — A Historic Moment for South Africa's Wireless Industry
ICASA has formally gazetted the final regulations on the use of 'Innovation Spectrum' — resolving one of the most contested questions in South African spectrum policy and delivering a landmark victory that WAPA has championed for over a decade.
Key Regulatory Outcomes
- Lower 6GHz band (5.925–6.425 GHz) designated licence-exempt and available to WISPs, Wi-Fi deployments, private networks, and community operators on a shared basis — not auctioned to mobile network operators.
- 3.8–4.2 GHz band (N77) opened on a licensed but discounted basis, expected to power standalone 5G applications including private networks for mining, manufacturing, campuses, and WISP backhaul.
- Together these bands unlock approximately 900 MHz of new spectrum — a transformational allocation for the fixed wireless industry.
- A 14-month consultation process that began with draft regulations in March 2025, including public meetings, coexistence simulation studies, and field experiments in Durban, has culminated in these final regulations.
Paul Colmer of WAPA called the lower-6GHz n77 allocation 'the most important thing ICASA has ever done in its entire history' for the wireless industry.
WAPA has been invited to the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Global summit in London in October 2026 in this regard .
https://www.dynamicspectrumalliance.org/global-summit-2026/
Important: Regulations Not Yet in Force
Section 24 of the regulations states they 'shall come into effect at a date to be determined by the Authority by notice in a Government Gazette.' WAPA will keep members informed as implementation timelines are confirmed. Members should not yet make irreversible infrastructure investments predicated on the new bands being immediately operational.
WAPA Engages Minister Solly Malatsi — DCDT
WAPA Exco member Paul Colmer held a strategic engagement with the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, as part of WAPA's ongoing high-level policy advocacy. The meeting covered the wireless industry's priorities in the context of South Africa's digital economy ambitions, with particular focus on spectrum policy, rural connectivity, and the role of independent WISPs in delivering affordable broadband to underserved communities.
WAPA remains committed to constructive engagement with government and will continue to advocate for a regulatory environment that enables the wireless industry to invest, grow, and connect the unconnected.
LEO Satellite: WAPA's Position
The rapid growth of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity — led by SpaceX's Starlink — OneWeb and Amazon LEO continues to generate both opportunity and complexity for WAPA members. SpaceX has committed R2.5-billion in local investment, including R500-million to connect 5,000 schools with free internet and equipment. ICASA has officially rejected a ministerial policy directive from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), stating that it cannot alter local ownership rules without Parliament first amending the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) of 2005.
WAPA's Paul Colmer has expressed scepticism about widely reported figures of 14,000 alleged illegal Starlink users operating via foreign roaming. WAPA members continue to assist authorities by reporting any illegal equipment they encounter in the field.
The dominant message from the Irene event and WAPA's broader engagement is that LEO satellite and fixed wireless are complementary, not competitive technologies. WISPs are encouraged to explore satellite integration as a backhaul solution and service layer extension rather than viewing LEO’s purely as a threat.
Upper 6GHz Band: The Next Frontier
With the lower 6GHz band now secured through the Innovation Spectrum Regulations, WAPA is already mobilising the industry around the upper 6GHz band — a further 700 MHz of spectrum (6.425–7.125 GHz) currently contested globally between IMT cellular operators and fixed wireless providers.
WAPA is calling on all wireless industry stakeholders — WISPs, vendors, satellite operators, and investors — to join and support its advocacy. Winning the upper 6GHz band would be transformative for both commercial operators and the millions of South Africans in underserved communities still without affordable internet access. A unified industry voice will be essential in the upcoming ITU and ICASA processes.
AI National Policy: Reset Underway
In a notable development in May 2026, Minister Malatsi acted swiftly and withdrew South Africa's Draft National AI Policy after AI hallucinations fabricated fictitious references and citations within the document itself. A full policy reset is now underway, with an expert panel appointed and a credible, human-verified policy expected by the end of the current financial year.
WAPA will engage in the forthcoming consultation process to ensure the interests of the wireless connectivity sector — including the role of rural broadband infrastructure in enabling AI adoption — are reflected in South Africa's AI governance framework.
ICASA has also released the The-State-of-the-ICT-Sector-Report-of-South-Africa-31-March-2026
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Regional Events
WAPA's 20th anniversary regional event series continues with two exciting events still to come this year:
| Date | Region / Venue | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
|
24 June 2026 |
Limpopo, The Ranch Resort, Polokwane |
Dynamic spectrum, private 5G, LEO networks, member awards, networking |
|
30 July 2026 |
Durban |
Dynamic spectrum, private 5G, LEO networks, member awards, networking |
|
27 August 2026 |
Bloemfontein |
Dynamic spectrum, private 5G, LEO networks, member awards, networking |
|
8 October 2026 |
East London |
Dynamic spectrum, private 5G, LEO networks, member awards, networking |
|
12 November 2026 |
Western Cape, Webersburg Wine Estate, Stellenbosch |
Year-end celebration, 20th anniversary gala, industry awards, wine tasting |
To register or for more information on upcoming events, visit www.wapa.org.za or contact the WAPA secretariat. [email protected]
Website
To celebrate its 20th year anniversary, WAPA has revamped its website with a new look and feel to keep up with the fast paced industry it represents.
Check it out here https://wapa.org.za/
WHY JOIN WAPA
Joining the Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA) connects you with South Africa’s leading wireless industry experts. It provides crucial regulatory support, access to specialized business and technical training, and a collective voice to advocate for favorable spectrum management and policy changes.
Becoming a WAPA member unlocks the following primary benefits:
- Wireless connectivity requests: Wapa sends out connectivity request to all licensed members nationally. By the number of leads issued you got better than 1 in 3 chance of getting a new lead monthly. One sale to one client and your membership fees are covered for ever !
- Regulatory & Legal Support: Access expert legal and regulatory advice to navigate complex compliance, ICASA licensing, and spectrum constraints.
- Members portal: For training, legal documents / contracts, resources and engineering guides and a Market place for vendor members
- Industry Advocacy: WAPA lobbies on your behalf for progressive spectrum allocation (such as TVWS , n77 5G SA and the contested 6GHz bands) to secure sustainable business models.
- Business & Technical Training: Employees can utilize WAPA’s free online training programs to develop technical expertise.
- Networking & Vendor Perks: Gain institutional credibility, attend community-driven forums/events, and access exclusive partner or OEM offers.
- Interference Mitigation: Benefit from a collaborative environment that minimizes radio interference and enforces a code of conduct for good practices.
You can join WAPA here as a new 1st time Wisp for R400 per/month for the 1st year including FREE website and hosting !
https://wapa.org.za/form/wapa-membership-application-form.
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