BRIEFING TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND POSTAL SERVICES

PROGRESS ON ICT POLICY REVIEW PROJECT

› Separate frameworks have guided the sector since 1994. The White Papers on Broadcasting, Telecommunications & Postal sectors and the Green Paper on e-commerce, have underpinned the policy and legislative developments since democracy.

› Much has changed in recent years, especially in the ICT sector due to the rapid expansion and fast-paced developments in technology, and the emergence of new media as a result of the Internet.

› Changing ICT environment:

› Technology convergence is of particular interest to policy makers and regulators as it changes the nature of services, allowing an operator who was licensed under one category to be able to do things that would have required different category licences in the past;

› Convergence of Internet and Media; and

› Convergence in Policy and Regulation.

2

BACKGROUND The ICT Policy Review process was launched in April 2012. Aim: to develop a White Paper on ICT Policy for South Africa. Minister appointed 22 experts that would serve on the ICT Policy Review

Panel. The scope of the Panel work includes, but is not limited to, making

recommendations on the appropriate ICT policy and regulatory framework that supports the growth and development of the sector.

The Panel will also make proposals to the Minister with respect to institutional mechanisms for delivering universal access and universal service policy goals. Additionally, the Panel is tasked with making recommendations regarding the development and maintenance of diverse, innovative, efficient and effective ICT market that operates within a competitive environment and in the best interest of the South African public.

The inaugural meeting of the Review Panel was held in January 2013.

BACKGROUND Cont…. Some Panel members requested to be released from the project due

to other pressing commitments. The current Minister then appointed five new members to serve in the

Panel, in replacement of members who left. The Project Management Office was established to support the Panel Five Committees were set up to drive the work of the ICT Policy Review

process Such Committees focused the following key areas:

Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Postal, Investment and Infrastructure and e-Services and Cybersecurity

Research was conducted on these key areas to support the policy development process and facilitate evidence-based policy making process.

Post the Green Paper gazette, the Committees were restructured to reflect the ICT sector in a converged environment, from the traditional separation of subsectors.

Current Governance Structures- ICT Policy Review

Current Governance Structures- ICT Policy Review

Chairperson’s Meeting

Inter-Departmental Working Group

ICT Policy Review Panel

ICT Policy

Review Panel

ICT Industry Growth

Infrastructure & Services

E-services & internet

regulation

Content

Institutional Frameworks

POLICY REVIEW PROCESS (4 STAGES)

> UNDERPINNED BY INVITATION TO STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTICIPATE

FRAMING PAPERGAZETTED

April 2013

GREEN PAPERGAZETTED

January 2014

DISCUSSION PAPER

TO BE ISSUED

To Follow

WHITE PAPER TOBE GAZETTED

To Follow

FRAMING PAPER

The Framing Paper: set Objectives and Principles that underpin the current policy environment - laid the foundation for discussion.

This Policy Framing Paper – first round of consultationThe Framing Paper - gazetted for public consultation in

April 2013.

INTEGRATED ICT POLICY GREEN PAPER

The Green Paper - gazetted for public consultation in January 2014, following Cabinet approval in December 2013.

The Green Paper - canvass opinions on the various aspects of the communications sector that need to be reviewed.

Extensive public consultations, including provincial public hearings in all provinces were undertaken in March 2014.

More than 70 submissions were received from various stakeholders including multinational companies, non-profit sector organisations and municipalities as well as organised business associations.

INTEGRATED ICT POLICY DISCUSSION PAPER

Current phase: development of the Discussion Paper Policy document

Discussion Paper will outline various policy options on key policy issues.

Policy Options largely informed by: public hearings, written submissions on the Green Paper, committee work, research conducted and consultations with government stakeholders.

Gazette Discussion Paper- beginning of November 2014

INTEGRATED ICT POLICY WHITE PAPER

The Integrated ICT Policy White Paper will be formal Government’s policy position on all matters relating to the information communications technologies.

It will inform the development of an integrated National ICT Law, which reflects convergence of the sector and promotes the 2030 vision of a South Africa that is dynamic, has a vibrant knowledge economy and has an information society that is more inclusive and prosperous.

This Paper will be tabled in Cabinet in March 2015.

12

Key Policy Issues

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT A GLANCE

A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

Facilities outside coverage of the main service providers

Health facilitiesPolice stationsSchools

Legend:

Total facilities outside coverage:•6785 schools•793 health facilities•192 police stations

Source: BMI-T, 2012Source: BMI-T, 2012 14

15A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

Telecommunications: Policy issues to address Telecommunications: Policy issues to address

16

Key Policy Issues

BROADCASTING

AT A GLANCE

A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

17

Broadcasting policy implementation - Successes

Broadcasting policy implementation - Successes

Supporting SA contentSimilar obligations for broadcasters

Increasing diversity language services provincial reflection

Sustaining community broadcasting

Content standards and protection of children

Access to signal distribution

Enforcement of IP rights

Define the SABC mandate in the digital era Developmental programming and priorities

children’s programmes educational programmes health programmes sports: developmental & national unity

e-Government services Events of national interest Funding of the SABC Governance Structure of the SABC

Define broadcasting activities in the internet age

Convergence New content services

Regulatory parity and internet parity Licensing and spectrum Competition

market concentrationaccess to premium contentbundling across platformsbottlenecks and gatewayaccess to services

Legal and regulatory framework

Other cross-cutting issues

SABC

Broadcasting Policy IssuesBroadcasting Policy Issues

– 18 –

18

19

Key Policy Issues

POSTAL SERVICES

AT A GLANCE

A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

20

Postal services – policy implementation successes

Postal services – policy implementation successes

21A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

Postal Services Policy IssuesPostal Services Policy Issues

Postal

Role of Role of SAPO in SAPO in

the digital the digital eraera Declining Declining

mail volumes mail volumes & substitute & substitute

products products

SAPO integration in e-government environment

Public sector Public sector use of use of

competing competing postal postal

servicesservices

SAPO SAPO infrastructure infrastructure

to enhance to enhance govt. service govt. service

deliverydelivery

SAPO SAPO mandate and mandate and

universal universal service service

obligations obligations

Role of the Post Bank

Effective sector Effective sector monitoring and monitoring and

enforcementenforcement

22

Key Policy Issues

E-SERVICES & CYBERSECURITY

AT A GLANCE

A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

23A global leader in the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies for socio-economic development

E-services, cybersecurity & cybercrime

E-services, cybersecurity & cybercrime

The NDP highlights the need to develop specialised institutional capacity to ensure that policy keeps up with the evolution of the sector and that regulation is effective.

The roles and responsibilities of different players are defined in current policy and legislation and are intertwined, requiring the different institutions to act in collaboration to achieve specific policy objectives outlined in the various legislation governing the sector.

A review of the institutional roles and responsibilities of the different players involved in policy and regulatory settings indicate a lack of common purpose and interaction to the degree required to drive policy. The lack of interaction is at times mechanical. The question now is how all institutions dealing with public policy can better cooperate to deliver on the key policy and legislative mandates.

There is a need to strengthen policy, regulatory and market oversight (Legislature, the Executive, Regulator).

Institutional Arrangements Institutional Arrangements

24

WAY FORWARDGazette the Discussion Paper – beginning of November

2014Conduct Public Consultations: government structure &

clusters, public hearings.Analyse stakeholder inputDevelop concrete Policy Recommendations reportPanel to present the report to the Minister and

Department. Department to present Policy Recommendations to

Portfolio CommitteeThese Policy Recommendations, if approved, would form

the basis within which the new Integrated ICT Policy White Paper would be developed.

Table White Paper in Parliament