national integrated ict policy white paper: implementation plan

National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper: Implementation Plan

Presented by Joe Mjwara, Telecommunications and

Postal Services

JOE MJWARA 19 APRIL 2017

National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper: Implementation Plan

Making South Africa a Global Leader in Harnessing ICTs for Socio-economic Development

> UNDERPINNED BY INVITATION TO STAKEHOLDERS TO PARTICIPATE

April 2013 January 2014

POLICY REVIEW PROCESS (5 STAGES)FRAMING PAPER

GAZETTEDGREEN PAPER

GAZETTEDDISCUSSION

PAPERNovember 2014

ICT Review Panel Recommendations Report April 2015

WHITE PAPER

September 2016


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Overarching Vision: Ensure universal service and access to all ICT networks, platforms, content and services so that all South Africans regardless of who they are, where they live, their social or economic

status, benefit from the opportunities offered by the ICT sector to improve their quality of lifeSupply-side

Measures Postal Sector

Reform Institutional Frameworks

Demand-side Measures

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Universal Service and Access

■ Dissolve USAASA and transform USAF into a stand-alone funding agency to support universal service and access: Digital Development Fund.

■ Ministry responsible for policy formulation on universal service and access

■ Regulatory functions of USAASA be transferred to the sector regulator

■ Digital DF to support both supply and demand-side programmes

■ Evolve universal service obligations to incorporate broadband connectivity

■ Framework on consumer protection to be set and regularly reviewed

■ Availability

■ Affordability

■ Accessibility

■ Awareness

■ Ability

■ Quality of Services

■ Digital divide still persists

■ Outdated definitions

■ Overemphasis on subsidising network extension

■ Duplication and lack of alignment in institutional framework and roles


Innovation and Fair Competition

■ Market Reviews: regulator to prescribe list of markets and market segments and conduct market reviews of these. Regulator to also publish sector performance reports

■ Strengthening capacity of the Regulator- Memorandum of Cooperation between the regulator and the competition authorities

■ Mergers & Acquisitions- improved and increased cooperation between the regulators to avoid forum shopping and potential delays in finalisation of M&As

■ Ensure fair and sustainable competition so that all users have access to a choice of affordable services

■ Promote certainty about the competition regulatory framework

■ Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of regulators

■ Digitisation, convergence and changing technologies have affected the market structure. More vertically integrated companies.

■ Market definitions changing as services that were previously distinct become increasingly substitutable


The Internet

■ Challenges:- governments have limited influence on global internet governance; private sector business interests predominantly based in the USA; need to strengthen democratic decision making.

■ SA endorses positons that recognise the central role that governments must play to develop and implement policies in line with principles of self-determination

■ Challenge of lack of transformation; lack of geographic spread of data centre distribution and SA remains a consumer of search engines and browser products.

■ Regulator mandated to develop and implement strategies to widen participation in ISP markets; government to facilitate development of SA search and browser applications that promote locally-oriented content.

■ Net neutrality framework objectives include the promotion of the Internet as a platform for freedom of expression; protection of rights of users; barring blocking, throttling or prioritisation of some traffic over other traffic in exchange for payment.

■ Regulator is required to hold an inquiry in consultation with the competition authorities into the extent to which regulatory intervention is required to uphold Open Internet

■ The Internet is key given that the Internet is disruptive by its very nature and will continue to impact in more ways on every aspect of people’s lives. There is need to have an overarching framework that facilitates access to the opportunities offered by the Internet.

■ Number of .ZA domain names is extremely limited. There is need to create more active public awareness of the importance of .ZA as the unique SA Online identity. Regulator will be mandated to implement active marketing and awareness strategies.


Open Access; Rapid Deployment and Spectrum Policies



■ Challenges:- unclear roles & responsibilities between the Minister and the regulator; gaps in the spectrum management regime and an exclusive spectrum regime which promotes economic growth for a few market players.

■ Policy ensures that the country maximises its economic, cultural and social benefits from the efficient use of spectrum. Policy supports open access and the sharing of infrastructure; promotes broadband coverage in rural areas and ensure that as many users and potential users can benefit from the assignment of radio frequency spectrum. ■ Currently there is no uniform nationwide requirements for granting permits and authorisations for the rollout of ECN infrastructure. There is duplication of infrastructure and its negative impact on the environment and lack of coordination between large numbers of affected stakeholders across different sectors.

■ Policy facilitates access to rights of way, way leaves and servitudes; promotes strong intergovernmental relations; avoids unnecessary duplications of infrastructure and thus promotes service-based competitions and promotes and facilitate a consistent, simple and coordinate approach among government departments, and agencies to formulate, process and determine applications for planning approvals and permits.

■ Challenges:- ineffective regulatory regime, concentrated broadband market infrastructure and high communications costs have resulted in skewed network rollout in the country.

■ Open access policy leads to the creation of the Wholesale Open Access Network that will enable all players to compete on equal terms, thereby enabling multiple downstream competitors to share infrastructure. The policy promotes transparency, non-discrimination and accountability across the broadband value-chain. In addition, it encourages consumers to fully experience the internet and reduces market entry barriers.


A Digital Society



■ Focuses on maximising the potential of ICTs to facilitate digital inclusion across society.

■ Interventions include programmes to promote the use of ICTs to facilitate growth of the SMME sector; building digital and IT skills as well as reducing red tape and bureaucracy in government through ICTs and developing simplified online compliance tools and systems for business registration to make it easier for entepreneurs.

■ Challenge:- lack of synchronisation in approaches to digital transformation adopted by different government departments; uneven capacity to roll out digital solutions and services

■ Framework on e-government seeks to promote the use of ICTs to transform relationship between government and citizens; ensures that all South Africans can access quality public service and government information and that ICTs are used to increase the efficiency of delivering public services across the country.

Demand-side interventions that are necessary to transform SA into an inclusive digital society

❑ Programme of Action to promote trust and security in the use of ICTs and to facilitate digital literacy and e-astuteness.

❑ Interventions include implementing awareness campaigns on tools to protect oneself from internet crime and digital identity; strengthening the electronic signature framework and facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration on e-literacy and digital astuteness activities


Postal Policy

■ In order to maximise the value of Postbank infrastructure, the mandate of the Postbank includes the provision of insurance and other financial products; provision of electronic and mobile money services and the payment of social and other government grants.

■ Policy provides for the governance of address data production, aggregation, distribution and usage functions in South Africa.

■ SAPO will be responsible for address production, allocation and maintenance of the National Address Database. The address allocated by SAPO will be recognised as the authoritative address for all households. SAPO will also record data verification transactions.

■ No other entity is allowed to provide services in the reserved market; SAPO retains exclusivity in the issuing of postage stamps.

■ Regulator is required to, inter alia, develop mechanisms to monitor and ensure compliance by the operators. Regulator will also conduct a review of the market structure and develop a licensing framework for the postal sector.

■ Policy provides for the restructuring of the SAPO and the postal sector in general to contribute towards the provision of universal access

■ Provide the definition of postal services and the scope of the sector

■ Delineate a new markets structure, competition and licensing frameworks

■ Policy provides for a comprehensive framework that governs the establishment of ETOEs in South Africa. ETOEs operating in the country will, amongst other things, comply with UPU guidelines on re-mailing, subject to monitoring by the Regulator with regard to trading practices and agreed-to service standards.

ICT INDUSTRY GROWTH Centralised Coordination

and FacilitationInfrastructure, Local content,

e-Services

Electronics & Hardware

ManufacturingSoftware

developmentICT services

industry

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR INDUSTRY GROWTHMaking South Africa a Global Leader in Harnessing ICTs for Socio-economic Development

ICT Industry Growth


Institutional Frameworks

■ The Ministry has initiated a review of all state owned companies and entities within its portfolion in line with the proposal in the SA Connect policy document that these SOCs must be rationalised to maximise public benefit.

■ Guiding principles and objectives entailed in this Chapter will assist this process of streamlining mandates and institutions within the portfolio of Telecommunications and Postal Services Ministry.

■ USAASA and USAF dissolved to create the Digital Development Fund. This is a distinct fund that will provide support for both infrastructure and targeted demand stimulation projects and programmes and will be funded through private sector levies, donor funding and incremental state funding.

■ A new ICT Sector Regulator and Tribunal will be established to regulate the sector across the entire ICT value chain, including the Internet value chain and postal sector. This regulator will have sole responsibility for overseeing and promoting Internet governance, licensing and regulation of networks, services, spectrum and other scarce ICT-related resources.

■ ICT Review Tribunal will be established to appeal the decisions of the regulator and/or its committees.

■ Ensure responsive and flexible ICT governance and regulation across the ICT and Internet value chain

■ Ensure maximum public benefit and value chain from public resources

■ Ensure meaningful public participation in policy making and regulatory processes

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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED ICT POLICY WHITE PAPER



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Scope of the Digital

Development Fund Bill includes

Scope of the iNESI Bill includes

Mandate and functions of the DDF Funding model Governance model (appointment of Board, CEO etc)Fund Manual and its operating proceduresTransitional arrangements

Scope of the ICT Sector Regulator

and Tribunal Bill includes

Mandate and functions of the ICT Sector Regulator and Tribunal Funding model Governance model (defining the context of its independence)Market reviews, impact assessments etc

Transitional arrangements

Mandate and functions of iNESI

Governance model

Funding model

Operating procedures

Transitional arrangements

The following new Bills and amendments to existing laws will need to be

undertaken to give effect to the White Paper

1. ICT Sector Regulator and Tribunal Bill2. Digital Development Fund Bill 3. iKamva National e-Skills Institute Bill 4. Electronic Communications Amendment

Bill 5. Electronic Communications and

Transactions Amendment Bill 6. South African Post Office Limited

Amendment Bill 7. Postal Services Amendment Bill

PRIORITY LEGISLATION (1)


Scope of the ECT

Amendment Bill includes

Electronic Signature Framework

Holistic approach to Internet governance and administration of domain names

Protecting children from online commercial and other exploitation

Provisions to allow citizens to remove information from the Internet

Scope of the EC


New spectrum institutional arrangements

Competition provisions

Rapid deployment policy

Licensing framework

Open Access Regime









Scope of the Postal

Services Amendment Bill includes

Governance ModelCommercial and business plans for digitisation

Reserved vis-à-vis unreserved markets

Market structure and competitionDefinition of postal sector ETOEs

Scope of the SAPO


Expansion of mandate- provision of e-services (finance, e-commerce etc)

Universal service obligations

National Address System









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Thank you…
