Question NW1821 to the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
17 November 2021 - NW1821
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
What (a) steps has she taken to resolve the litigation given the impasse regarding the auctioning of spectrum and (b) immediate interventions have been put in place to ensure that the impasse caused by the litigation does not put the Republic behind in the rolling out of modern communications offered by 5G technology?
Reply:
a) The Minister continues to facilitate engagements between the parties to the litigation to find an amicable solution. These efforts have resulted in consensus on matters on dispute be they on the release of the spectrum or temporary spectrum.
b) The Department continues to support the development and advancement of modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), etc. At this point the Department is working with industry experts and academia to develop South Africa Artificial Intelligence Policy, this is after the country successfully led the development of the AI Blueprint for Africa the Smart Africa Alliance. Of course, the ability to extend the availability of these technologies will highly be influenced by the deployment of the spectrum.