Presentation to the Portfolio Committee

on Communications by Engineering and Technology Unit

By: Wojtek SkowronskiDate: 8 October 2004

Outline of Presentation

• Mandate

• Strategic Objectives

• Past achievements

• Major Deliverables for 2004/2005

• Challenges

• Conclusions

Mandate

• Constitution• Telecommunications Act• Broadcasting Act• IBA Act• ICASA Act• Interception and Monitoring Act• Ministerial Policy Directives• International Agreements

Strategic Objectives

• Orderly and practical utilization of a scarce national natural resource – Frequency Spectrum including:

Planning Migration Management Licensing

• Monitoring and Enforcement of radio frequency licence conditions including:

Monitoring of usage Resolution of interference Investigations of unauthorized usage

Past achievements• Spectrum Planning and Management

Project Spectra – Broadcasting Spectrum management softwareReview equipment specificationsSABRE revision – SATFAPublication of BC annual frequency planSpectrum licensing, 90 000 licences issued

• International coordination and liaisonsWRC preparation and participationITU registration of FM/TV/AM assignments

• Regional TRASA cooperation initiativesRegional standardization

Past Achievements• Spectrum Monitoring

Provision of the national infrastructurePerformance of monitoring tasks proactively and on demandMonitoring reportsSupport for the SKA bid

• EnforcementInspections and auditsCollection of outstanding licence fees

• Regional TRASA cooperation initiativesCross-border issues

Past Achievements• Six regional offices conduct frequency spectrum

monitoring• Interference investigations• Licence administration, inspection and audits• The Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town

offices perform maritime surveys• Bloemfontein region actively involved in work

related to the cross-border agreement with LTA dealing with the cases of GSM signal spillovers

Past Achievements

• Bloemfontein office involved with planning and conducting of terrestrial interference surveys for the SKA bid

• Survey reports on www.ska.org.za

Past Achievements

Installation of fixed Direction Finding

(DF) Monitoring Units

• Project involves the deployment of four units purchased from Protea Electronics.

• First DF unit was installed at Linksfield Ridge.

• The remaining units have been installed in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

Past Achievements

• Focused and aligned for delivery unit

• Operations within limited budget

• 80% of management are HDIs

• Most projects on time and within budget

Major Deliverables for 2004/2005

• Completion of Project Spectra

• Review equipment specifications

• Publication of BC annual frequency plan

• Spectrum licensing/fees regulation

• WRC preparation & participation

• Spectrum for 3G and Digital broadcasting

Challenges

• ITU Registration of frequency assignment

• TRASA projects

• 800 MHz sharing study

• Identification of 3G spectrum

• Migration to digital

• Alignment for Convergence Act

Challenges

• GSM signal jammers – located and seized,• Illegal cordless phones interfering on SANDF

and SAPS frequencies – confiscated,• Illegal radio receivers, used by tow truck

operators and abalone poachers and smugglers to intercept SAPS voice communications – confiscated,

Challenges

• Illegal broadcasting transmitters – identified and closed down or confiscated,

• Joint operations of the Central monitoring and the Johannesburg Region – closed down Radio Roepstem, Radio Triompf, Radio Teks FM and LM Radio (Kriel),

• Unlicensed provision of IP networks in the 2.4 GHz band – transgressors identified and cases opened with the SAPS,

Challenges

• Spurious emissions from faulty RF equipment causing interference – identified and rectified by the operators.

• Use of equipment in excess of numbers licensed – identified by licensees’ audits and corrected through revised licenses and fees.

Planned Projects

• TRASA projects

• Spectrum fees regulation

• Identification of 3G spectrum

• 800 MHz sharing study ?

• SKA ?

Conclusion

• Engineering and Technology is an essential support function for the Regulator

• Basic infrastructure in place, however needs continuous upkeep funding

• Human resource development and retention critical

Thank you for your time and attention