South African telco Telkom has, as expected, withdrawn its High Court action against ICASA over the regulator’s upcoming auction of spectrum. Telkom told the Pretoria High Court that it will remove its urgent application for an ‘interdict’ to forbid any progress on the auction. Instead, however, it wants ICASA to promptly hear its objections and […]

South Africa’s Telkom, in its High Court action, has proposed withdrawing its objections to the upcoming proposed spectrum auction. But this might not mean a speedy end to its objections. Local reports say that lawyers for Telkom, in a letter to the Court, appear to want instead to see the various parties have a full […]

South Africa’s communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has presented filings to the country’s High Court in Pretoria saying that the government will firmly oppose telco Telkom in its move to delay the planned spectrum auction. The move is dramatic given that the government holds more than 40 per cent of Telkom’s equity which seemingly has little […]

South Africa’s media and telecoms regulator, ICASA, has slammed telco Telkom for delaying a planned spectrum auction. “The authority is not surprised by Telkom’s relentless resort to litigation, the conduct stretching back seven years or more ago,” ICASA said in a statement. “Telkom appears hellbent on stalling the authority’s every effort to licence the high-demand […]

South Africa’s Telkom has thrown the regulator ICASA’s planned spectrum auction into considerable confusion. Telkom has filed a formal objection with the country’s high court over ICASA’s planned auction saying that it is not satisfied with the way ICASA is managing the process. The auction was due to open in March. According to the filing, […]

South African cellular operator Vodacom has joined telco Telkom in confronting regulator ICASA over its decision to take back “temporary” spectrum. It means that South Africa’s three largest telcos (including MTN) are all now pursuing ICASA through the Pretoria High Court and arguing that ICASA’s timing is not right. The spectrum was made available in […]

South Africa has postponed its spectrum auction yet again. This time the reason was a legal objection from the telco provider, Telkom, and broadcaster, e.tv, who secured a ruling from the nation’s high court to pause the auction. Judge Selby Baqwa has now placed an interdict on regulator ICASA. The auction was supposed to happen […]

South Africa’s much-delayed spectrum auction will see some progress by the end of September when regulator ICASA will issue two invitations to apply for interested parties. ICASA says the spectrum will then be issued at the end of the regulator’s financial year (March 2021) which is a further 3 months later than the promised December […]