ICASA ITA for mobile TV provision

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Mongezi Mtati

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is calling for interested individual electronic communications services, broadcasting services and electronic communications network services licensees to apply for frequencies to provide mobile digital video broadcasting services.

Two metropolitan multiplexes have been set aside to enable a provision of mobile digital video broadcasting services based on the Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) standard. The DVB-H standards were adopted by South Africa as per the Ministerial Policy Directive of September 2007 and are also consistent with the decisions adopted at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Regional Radio Conference of 2006.

Currently, frequencies are available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town and the areas surrounding this metropolis. It is envisaged that in the future and with the freeing-up of spectrum following the digital migration process, ICASA may extend the coverage to other areas in SA.

The copy of the Invitation to Apply (ITA) may be accessed using www.icasa.org.za/Licensing/tabid/56/ctl/ItemDetails/mid/695/ItemID/226/Default.aspx or alternatively from Government Gazette Notice 1505 published in GG: 31686 dated 5 December 2008.

The closing date for the response is 27 February 2009.