THE council of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has resolved to reinstate the interconnection guidelines published in the Government Gazette in March. The move is a slap in the face for communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, who in April attempted to withdraw the regulations, illegally according to Satra. The guidelines lay down the rules that will force all network operators to allow connections between their networks and provide a framework for the leasing of facilities such as data lines. It is widely seen as a measure to control large telecommunications companies, specifically Telkom, and force fair play among all involved in the field after deregulation.