Opposition parties have pointed to multiple missed deadlines, including the most recent one imposed by the Department itself, for 31 March this year.
“We have concluded analogue switch-off in five provinces namely the Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo in line with the outcomes of the recent spectrum auction,” said Minister Ntshavheni during the debate on the Communication and Digital Technology Department’s budget vote at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Sinawo Thambo of the Economic Freedom Fighters described ICASA’s recent spectrum auction as a missed opportunity, arguing that it has reinforced the dominance of telecommunications giants’ in the communications industry instead of opening opportunities for diversification and transformation as intended.