Icasa delays publication of unbundling document

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has delayed publication of a discussion document on the unbundling of Telkom’s local loop of copper cable infrastructure by up to two weeks.

In a terse statement issued on Friday, the authority says it has decided to postpone publication of the document “for a period of up to two weeks” to allow it to “finalise the finer details in the actual document”.

Icasa had been expected to publish the discussion document in the Government Gazette this week. Communications minister Roy Padayachie has said he wants the local loop unbundled by no later than November this year. Unbundling would give rival operators access to the Telkom-owned copper cables that connect consumers and businesses. It’s seen as a way of reducing broadband prices and stimulating competition.

Icasa councillor Thabo Makhakhe, who is one of the members of the team tasked with dealing with local-loop unbundling, has said the authority would create a document that clarifies what aspects of the local loop other operators will have access to.

The authority has not provided further details as to why it felt the need to postpone publication of the discussion document.