FINAL REPORT - Stakeholders - Ofcom

COUNTRY
QUESTION
2.1.1 - National Organisations with Responsibilities for Granting of Radio Frequencies & Related Licences, & Setting administrative Fees or Spectrum Charges
at the heart of the New Economy where technology, capital, knowledge and talent are being pushed beyond national boundaries.
South Africa Department of Communications – see http://docweb.pwv.gov.za/ The Department of Communications is the public service arm of the Ministry for Posts, Telecommunications and
Broadcasting. The Department is the centre of policymaking and policy review for the Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting sectors in the country. This includes policy
making that affects state-owned enterprises such as Telkom SA Limited, South African Post Office (Pty) Ltd, Sentech and the SABC, as well as the regulators – the Independent
Broadcasting Authority, the Universal Service Agency and the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. All these, including the Department, fall under the Cabinet
portfolio of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) - see http://www.icasa.org.za/ The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is the
regulator of telecommunications and the broadcasting sectors. It was established in July 2000 in terms of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act No.13 of
2000. It took over the functions of two previous regulators, the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA).
The two bodies were merged into ICASA to facilitate effective and seamless regulation of telecommunications and broadcasting and to accommodate the convergence of
technologies.
Spain Ministry of Science and Technology – see http://www.mcyt.es/english_mcyt/indexingles.htm (no useful data in English available).
Sweden National Post and Telecom Agency – see http://www.pts.se/default.asp?SectionID=&ItemID=&LanguageID=EN Post- och telestyrelsen, PTS, the Swedish National Post and
Telecom Agency, is the governmental authority for all issues relating to the telecoms, IT, radio and postal services. One of our key tasks is to ensure the development of functioning
postal and telecom markets. We actively promote healthy competition, supervise price trends and have the consumer's interests at heart. PTS also issues regulations and ensures
that existing legislation is followed.
Turkey TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY – see http://www.tk.gov.tr/Eng/english.htm (nothing available in English)
UAE Ministry of Finance & Industry - see http://www.fedfin.gov.ae/ The UAE's telecommunications sector is the most highly developed in the region, with state telecommunications
giant Etisalat also being one of the region's top companies. Through its 34 per cent owned affiliate, Thuraya, Etisalat will launch its own satellite during 2000, this being intended to
serve up to 1.9 million users in 49 countries from the Atlantic to the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia. Locally, there are over 450,000 mobile telephones, while access to
Internet services, has been available since 1995, with connection and usage rates being continually reduced as Internet connections grow A complete e-commerce service,
Contrast, was launched in 1999. Now planning to diversify into cable television, Etisalat is also a key partner in the FLAG (Fibre-Optic Link Around the Globe) network, the world's
longest operating submarine cable system, which links Europe to Asia and the Far East.
Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) – see http://www.etisalat.ae/index2.htmEmirates Telecommunications Corporation - Etisalat came into being on 30th
August 1976. The Corporation provides telecommunication services to the United Arab Emirates and is one of the leading service providers in the Middle East Region. It is one of
the largest and most successful companies in the Middle East, controls the telecommunications business in the UAE.
UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) see - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/ Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio,
telecommunications and wireless communications services.
USA The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - See http://www.fcc.gov/ The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government
agency, directly responsible to Congress. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications
by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions. The Federal Communications Commission
is responsible for regulating aviation and marine radios.
Table 7-2 Public information concerning the countries to which the Questionnaire was sent
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