Review of telecoms policy for Presidency

As the foremost telecommunications experts in South Africa, Genesis was retained by the Office of the Presidency to conduct the official 15-year review of telecommunications policy and its impact on government’s two central yet evolving objectives of securing cost-competitiveness and providing universal access.

Cost-competitiveness refers to the provision of a variety of high-quality, low-cost services, while universal access refers to both physical proximity and affordability.

Since policy formulation and execution take place within an evolving context, it is necessary to take this context and the developments within it into account when analysing policy effectiveness.

The study therefore depended on two key factors. Firstly, a comprehensive understanding of government’s policy objectives and of how the weighting of these objectives evolved through each policy-formation period and, secondly, an equally comprehensive understanding of government’s overall policy framework, which is implemented through the use of specific policy tools. Within this context, the impact of telecommunications policy could be reviewed and lessons learnt.

The key lessons arising from the study related to competition for voice access, competition for later entrants, the side-effects of state investment, the effects of regulation and licensing delays, subsidisation failure and roll-out obligations.

The study revealed that, while significant inroads had initially been made, subsequent delays and policy failures - as well as the lack of clear policy options - had effectively constrained government in addressing its cost and access objectives though a state investment approach.