[28 January 2026]

You now have until 16:00 on 16 February 2026 to submit your responses to the ICASA questionnaire.

Questionnaire of the Inquiry into New IECNS Licences – Extension of closing date for written responses

[28 November 2025]

ICASA Inquiry into issuing of new individual service licences

ICASA has launched an inquiry into the potential issuance of new Individual Electronic Communications Network Service (I-ECNS) licenses, following a Ministerial policy directive issued on 22 August 2025.

Historically, obtaining new I-ECNS and I-ECS licenses has been restricted, forcing new entrants to acquire existing licenses through secondary market transactions approved by ICASA. This inquiry seeks to evaluate whether:

• The current license transfer process effectively promotes competition.
• There is sufficient market demand for new licenses.
• Issuing new licenses aligns with the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) and improves competition.
• New licenses would help achieve universal access goals.
• The benefits of new licenses outweigh the regulatory costs of monitoring and enforcement.

Submission Details: Responses must be emailed to Mr. Peter Mailula at iecns-inquiry@icasa.org.za and pmailula@icasa.org.za by 16:00 on 3 February 2025.

The process to be followed:

Phase	Event	Date | Deadline | Period
1	Commencement of Inquiry through the publication of a notice and questionnaire.	25 November 2025
	Public consultation period	16h00, 3 February 2026
	One-on-one meetings to clarify written submissions (if required by ICASA)
2	Publication of a Discussion Document
	Public consultation period	45 working days
3	Public hearings on Discussion Document (if required by ICASA)
4	Publication of Findings Document	90 working days from end of public hearings