ICASA grants final grace period for temporary spectrum holders

25 August 2021 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

The Council of ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) has resolved that licencees of temporary emergency radio frequency spectrum that was assigned last year will have their spectrum assignments revoked by no later than 30 November this year.

The temporary spectrum was first assigned by means of an expedited process during April 2020 on the initial declaration of the National State of Disaster, which in turn was occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. ICASA has since twice extended the duration of the temporary assignment, the last expiry date being 31 August 2021.

ICASA says it has, inter alia, taken into account the current environment in relation to the number of infections, the gradual reopening of the economy and the steady progress in the vaccination programme. It classified the need to focus its efforts on the permanent licencing of spectrum as a more important factor, while acknowledging the need to allow the industry adequate time to plan and adjust its operations.

According to the chairperson of ICASA, Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng, ‘‘The Authority’s interventions with regards to the release of the temporary radio frequency spectrum have indeed contributed immensely to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensuring that South Africans were and continue to be, able to communicate during these unprecedented times. However, the Authority cannot allow the temporary spectrum assignment to assume a state of permanence.”

He went on to say that, having allowed operators to use the temporarily assigned spectrum for a period of 17 months, it is reasonable that they be allowed a further three months until 30 November 2021 as a sufficient winding-down period.

In order to allow the licencees to wind down their operations on the temporary spectrum and to notify consumers about the impact thereof (if any) on their service offerings, ICASA has resolved to amend the Covid-19 National Disaster Regulations to provide for continued use of the temporary radio frequency spectrum licences for the period ending 30 November 2021.

Further reading:

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE co-processor
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
STMicroelectronics has released its ST67W611M1, a low-power Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE combo co-processor module.

Read more...

---

Improving accuracy of outdoor devices
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
In a real-world environment, accessing a direct satellite signal is not always possible, and it cannot be relied upon as the only solution to provide a device with accurate location at all times.

Read more...

---

New 3dB hybrid couplers
Electrocomp Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Designed to facilitate the continued evolution of high-frequency wireless systems in various market segments, the new DB0402 3dB 90° hybrid couplers provide repeatable high-frequency performance compatible with automated assembly.

Read more...

---

Next-level Software Defined Radio
IOT Electronics Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Great Scott Gadgets has announced the HackRF Pro, a powerful evolution of its popular Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform designed for engineers and enthusiasts.

Read more...

---

High-performance Zigbee and BLE module
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The KCMA32S from Quectel boasts an ARM Cortex-M33 processor with a frequency of up to 80 MHz, and supports Zigbee 3.0, BLE 5.3 and BLE mesh.

Read more...

---

Championing local PCB manufacturing
Master Circuits Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Master Circuits, founded in 1994 by Peter Frankish in Durban, was born from the vision to meet the growing local demand for quick-turnaround printed circuit boards in South Africa.

Read more...

---

How IoT-driven smart data helps businesses stay ahead
Trinity IoT Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
With around 19 billion IoT devices globally, embedded in everything from machinery to vehicles to consumer products, reliable data is plentiful.

Read more...

---

IoT-optimised LTE Cat 1 bis module
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel’s EG915K-EU is an LTE Cat 1 bis wireless communication module specially designed for M2M and IoT applications.

Read more...

---

Chip provides concurrent dual connectivity
EBV Electrolink Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The IW693 from NXP is a 2x2 dual-band, highly integrated device that provides concurrent dual Wi-Fi 6E + Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth connectivity, supporting four different modes.

Read more...

---

The 6 GHz band radio solution
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Analog Devices’ 16 nm transceiver family offers a highly integrated solution for this new frequency band, featuring low power consumption and high performance.

Read more...

---