South Africa will announce its decision on the second national operator (SNO) of fixed line telephone services “before the end of August this year”, said Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe- Casaburri on Monday, speaking at her Budget vote in Parliament.
Official opposition communications spokesperson Dene Smuts welcomed the August deadline but said Telkom “should long since have had competition, however limited and collusion-prone this is under a duopoly”. Telkom is the current fixed line monopoly in South Africa.
Noting the proposed Esitel and Transtel involvement in the SNO, she said this would “once again be part owned by the State” — as was the case with Telkom.
The minister also announced that Telkom is to introduce a special “e-rate” for
schools that will effectively halve the cost of their Internet
calls.
She said arrangements for this would be finalised between the communications and education departments over the next few months.
“From the beginning of the next school year, public schools will be charged only 50% of the normal rate for their Internet calls.
She said this was being done to “facilitate the adoption and usage of the Internet” in the country’s schools, which would be able to access needed educational material.
In her speech, Matsepe-Casaburri also said that the communications department and the National Treasury will finalise a public-private partnership model for the funding of regional television services during the course of this year.
The minister said the regional services will broadcast “in the official languages that do not find sufficient coverage in the present broadcasting system” as is required by “our constitutional mandate”.
The minister also said the department will work together with Parliament, the community radio sector and the government communications and information service for the launch of the satellite communications network.
“This will make it possible for grassroot communities, through their community stations, to access the workings of parliament, government information and services as well as news about other communities and general national developments, thus, further democratising access to information.”
Inkatha Freedom Party MP Suzanne Vos wondered whether a public broadcaster “could be fish and foul” and be involved in news service while having a private sector partner. -I Net-Bridge