ICASA has published a notice of its intention to amend Annexure B of the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations 2015 in Government Gazette 47792 3. The Authority is proposing the incorporation of the lower 6 GHz (5925 – 6425 MHZ) and the 122 – 246 GHz radio frequency bands for non-specific short-range applications. This will provide a much-needed boost to WiFi availability and uptake and is expected to enable faster data communication between devices connected to wireless infrastructure, reduce latency, improve efficiency and data throughput.
ICASA said that to update the regulations is necessitated by the need to keep the provisions of the regulations current with the existing and emerging technologies aimed at revolutionising the electronic communications sector.
The lower 6 GHz band is rapidly emerging worldwide as a key component in broadband rollout and uptake, providing an essential local loop component to support fibre and fixed wireless access, backhaul and WiFi. Making the lower 6 GHZ available for WiFi/RLAN (radio local area network) deployment offers important support to the South African national broadband plan and its objectives of enabling socio-economic growth and development.
Written submissions are invited in Microsoft word and a signed PDF by no later than at 16:00 on 30 January 2023. For more information contact BNKgadime@icasa.org.za.
