| NEW
FINDINGS, JUDGMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
•The Minister has announced
the resignation of the Director-General, Mr Andile Ngcaba,
whose contract expires in January 2004.
•The Minister will hold a briefing regarding the draft
convergence bill on 3 December 2003 at the Intercontinental
Sandton Sun and Towers from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. The draft bill
will be published for public comment, which will be due 60
days after publication, or 2 February 2004.
ICASA
•ICASA had given notice that
it will hold hearings into the SABC license renewal applications
on the 4th-5th December 2003.
•ICASA has published its Position Paper on Regional
Television Broadcasting Services.
THE REGISTRAR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
•The
Registrar has exempted authorised financial services providers
and representatives conducting short-term deposit business
from certain provisions of the Fit and Proper Requirement
and the General Code when rendering services relating to money
market funds.
EVENTS
•The Free Software and Open Source Foundation
for Africa, the African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources
project at the University of the Western Cape and the United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa invite the public to
an Open Source Conference to be held at the University of
the Western Cape, Cape Town, on the 12th-16th January 2004.
FOREIGN / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
•UNCTAD
launched its E-commerce and Development Report 2003, regarding
e-commerce trends and issues of major policy and strategic
concern in the ICT industries. Click
for more information.
NEW
PROCEEDINGS
ICASA
•ICASA has given notice of applications
for renewal of community sound broadcasting licenses for Qwa-Qwa
Radio, Setsoto FM Stereo, Mosupatsela FM Stereo, Radio Panorama,
Radio Teemaneng, Radio Kaboesna, Moutse Community Radio, Kangala
Community Radio, Radio Bushbuckridge, and Barberton Community
Radio Station. Comments are due by 4 December 2003.
TENDERS
•The Department of Defence has requested
tenders for a computer system as per SA Navy Specification
No. SANCOM02/2003, due 12 January 2004.
•The Department of Health has requested tenders for
the delivery and installation of digital terminals and new
telephone points and the implementation of a call centre,
due 18 November 2003.
•The Department of Communications has requested tenders
for:
- a consultant to provide electronic communications and marketing.
Due date 11 December 2003.
- a
broadcasting equipment supply and installation company to
supply, install and commission seven recently licensed community
radio stations located in the Gauteng and Western Cape Provinces.
Due date 11 December 2003.
- company
to research, commission, supply and install a computer based
news room system linked to satellite for community radio stations
to access parliamentary and government information and to
develop and share news programmes. Due date 11 December 2003.
•The
State Information Technology Agency has requested tender for
maintenance of general hardware for the Department of Correctional
Services, due 19 December 2003.
PENDING PROCEEDINGS
- REPRESENTATIONS DUE
ICASA
•Applications
for a commercial sound broadcasting license in respect of
Capital Radio by 9 December 2003.
•Applications for Vans and PTN licenses by all existing
licensees (deadline to be confirmed by Icasa).
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
•The
Department of Education has invited written submissions on
an E-Education White Paper. The due date is 31 December 2003.
MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
•The
deadline for the submission of Promotion of Access to Information
Act manuals by private bodies, has been extended to 31 August
2005.
TENDERS
•The
Department of Defence has requested tenders for the acquisition
of geospatial data for the rendering of visual and geospatial
databases as required by the Gripen and Hawk Flight Simulators,
due 4 December 2003.
•The
State Information Technology Agency has requested tenders
for:
- the
supply, installation and maintenance of two in-line stichers
to existing Xerox DP180 laser printers and one offline sticher.
Due date 4 December 2003.
•The
Department of Education has requested tenders for the establishment
and delivery of an electronic web-based classroom, which focuses
on on-line content delivery of South African history learning
support materials, due 5 December 2003.
•GCIS
has requested tenders for the maintenance, support and development
of the GCIS Internet infrastructure and application, due 15
December 2003.
•The
Department of Communications has requested tenders for:
- a consultant to carry out a detailed baseline survey on
the state of the programme supply market and the production
sector. Due date 12 December 2003.
- consultants
to analyse adspend placements within the advertising and marketing
industry. Due date 12 December 2003.
- a
consultant to develop two business plans on models for the
Regional Language Television services. Due date 12 December
2003.
- a
consultant to undertake a survey on the barriers to success
for information technology SMMEs. Due date 12 December 2003.
- consultants
to examine and recommend the best ways of improving and increasing
the efficiency and cost effectiveness of television license
fees collection. Due date 12 December 2003.
- a
consultant to undertake an international review of the literature
on incentive and support regimes for ICT incubators. Due date
12 December 2003.
•The Department
of Land Affairs has requested tenders for the appointment
of a service provider to develop an Intranet E-learning Programme
on Redistribution and Tenure Land Reform Programmes, due 15
December 2003.
PENDING PROCEEDINGS
- OUTCOME AWAITED
PRESIDENT
•Appointment
of the non-executive members of the SABC Board.
PARLIAMENT
•Telecommunications
Amendment Bill, to define "public operator" in relation
to interconnection and facilities leasing to include Telkom,
the SNO, Sentech, cellular providers as well as national long
distance telecommunications providers.
•Films
and Publications Amendment Bill, prohibiting child pornography
on the Internet. The Bill may be downloaded from www.gov.za/gazette/bills/2003/b61-03.pdf.
•Anti-Terrorism
legislation.
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
•Directives
for telecommunication services providers in terms of the Regulation
of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related
Information Act.
•Approval
of regulations regarding short-range radio devices.
•Approval
of regulations relating to an operator's entry, construction,
maintenance, deviation or alteration of any telecommunication
facilities and works upon any land.
•Approval
of regulations relating to the height of telecommunication
wires and cables and telecommunication facilities, pipes,
tunnels and tubes.
•Approval
of regulations on the manner of determining fees and charges
for mobile cellular telecommunication services.
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS/ICASA
•GMPCS
Licences.
•USAL
licenses.
•Finalisation of the SNO license.
ICASA
•Decision
on application for approval of the acquisition of all of the
shares of NAIL by Tiso Consortium, which holds interests in
K FM, Radio Jacaranda and Kaya FM.
•Revised
frequency band plan (SABRE 1) in the frequencies 20 MHz to
3 GHz.
•The
application from Yired broadcasting as Y FM to amend its license
with regard to shareholding, programming requirements and
human resources requirements.
•SABC's
application for a reduction of the South African Music Quota
applicable to Lotus FM.
•Supplementary
interconnection guidelines in respect of provisioning charges
and quality of service between PSTS operators.
•Regulations
on the implementation of carrier pre-selection.
•Sentech's
request regarding its community service obligations.
•Terms
and conditions for value-added network service licenses and
private telecommunication service licenses.
•Regulations
regarding Local Television.
•Terrestrial
Broadcasting Frequency Plan. It is reported that this document
was gazetted on the 28th November 2003.
•Decision
regarding the application by Cape Talk (Pty) Ltd for the renewal
and amendment of its commercial sound broadcasting license.
•Decision
regarding the SABC's application for amendments of its license
in respect of the closure of the SABC 2's transmitter at Kleinmond
and the upgrading of power at the SABC's Johannesburg transmitter.
•Decision
on the applications received from Indonsakusa Community Radio,
Maputaland Community Radio and Mokopane Community Radio for
amendments to their community sound broadcasting license conditions.
•Decision
on applications for the renewal of the commercial sound broadcasting
licenses of Y FM, and Classic FM.
•Decision
on application by the SABC for the amendment of its broadcasting
license for Ikwekwezi FM.
•Regulations
relating to Volume 2 of the Chart of Accounts and Cost Allocation
Manual ("COA/CAM") for mobile cellular telecommunications
service operators.
•Decision
on the applications by P4 Radio Cape Town and Jacaranda FM
for the renewal of their commercial sound broadcasting licenses.
•Decision
on applications for the renewal of four year community sound
broadcasting licenses by Naledi Community Radio, Radio Rosestad,
Overvaal Stereo, Radio Shimla (RSFM) and Radio Riverside Community
Radio Station.
•Amendments
to cellular service provider's licenses.
•Decision
on Kaya FM (Pty) Ltd's application for renewal of its commercial
sound broadcasting license.
•Recommendations
by the Special Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities
to ICASA on how the communications sector should meet the
needs of people with disabilities.
•Decision
on applications by Cape Community FM and Soweto Community
Resource Centre for community sound broadcasting licenses.
•SABC
license amendments.
•Enquiry
relating to subscription television.
•Decision
regarding the right of a provider or user of a telecommunications
service to utilise a telecommunications facility made available
in terms of an international treaty.
•Decision
on the application for the renewal of public television broadcasting
licenses by the SABC.
•Audit
on Telkom's roll-out and service target obligations.
•Position
Paper on the Review of Ownership and Control of Broadcasting
Services and Existing Commercial Sound Broadcasting Licences.
•Decision
on whether to conduct a study on the need to share broadcasting
frequency spectrum with telecommunication wireless local loop
systems and link equipment, in the frequency band 790-854
MHz.
•Regulations
prescribing new telecommunication service license categories.
•Regulations
in respect of telecommunication services that may be applied
for only pursuant to and in accordance with an invitation
to apply issued by the Minister of Communications, namely
local access telecommunication services.
•New
regulations for the resolution of telecommunications section
100 complaints.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE AGENCY
•Policy
in respect of the subsidisation of the under-serviced area
licensees.
DIGITAL BROADCASTING ADVISORY BODY
•Recommendations
to the Minister of Communications on digital broadcasting.
The Discussion Paper on Digital Broadcasting can be found
at http://docweb.pwv.gov.za/.
SOUTH AFRICAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
•Decision
on editorial policies.
SOUTH AFRICAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION
•Privacy
and Data Protection proposals. The Issue Paper may be downloaded
here.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
•Ratification
of the Council of Europe's Convention on Cyber crime (dealing
computer-related fraud and forgery and infringement of copyright).
An additional protocol regarding racist and xenophobic acts
committed through computer systems has yet to be signed by
South Africa. |
