The most important thing about this month’s spectrum auction is that it happened. It was originally planned for 2016, but corruption and incompetence delayed it.
A series of bungling communications ministers, especially Faith Muthambi, derailed a process that should have been completed long ago. The South African cellular industry hasn’t been able to license new spectrum since 2004 – or for 18 years.Part of the problem has been the releasing of the 700MHz and 800MHz frequencies used by the SABC and e.tv for old-fashioned analogue television signals.
The poorest of the poor in rural South Africa are the ones who are paying for Muthambi et al’s treasonous attempts to subvert a tender for the Guptas. Indeed, just by taking place we managed to avoid an entire generation from passing before we licensed spectrum again. It’s bad enough that it was 18 years since the last auction – for 3G, nogal. And #PresidunceZuma’s defenders still want to argue about whether they were truly “nine wasted years”. Meanwhile, the Icasa press release takes a weird turn at the end.