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No. 37261
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 24 JANUARY 2014
ICASA requires a funding model that reinforces its independence from all stakeholders
(including industry and government) and ensures sufficient funding for the effective
execution of its mandate.
Such a funding model would:
Ensure stable and predictable cash flow.
Allow for financial flexibility.
Allow for the recruitment and retaining of skilled staff.
Incentivise pro-competitive regulation.
Enhance ICASA's credibility.
12.4 Universal Service and Access Agency (USAASA)
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 established the Universal Service and Access Agency
of South Africa (USAASA). Section 82 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 provides
for the functions of the Universal Service and Access Agency.
Chapter 10 discusses the concept of universal service and access in the future in more
detail, as well as the operations of the USAASA, and the possible funding models.
The Electronic Communications Act provides for USAASA to recommend to the Minister
what constitutes universal access by all areas and communities to the electronic
communications services and electronic communications network services. The Agency is
further charged with the responsibility to monitor the extent to which universal access and
service have been achieved.
The Act provides that the Minister may require recommendations from the Agency in relation
to policy on any matter relating to universal access and service. It also directs the Agency to
inform ICASA of any matter relating to universal service and access.
The Act also provides for the Agency to manage the Universal Service and Access Fund. In
terms of this law, ICASA determine the basis and manner of the contributions of licence
holders to the Universal Service and Access Fund. The Minister is required to determine the
threshold of contributions as a percentage of annual turn-over. ICASA should identify underserviced areas and review the list of under-serviced areas at least twice a year. The Minister
is required to determine the types of needy persons.
12.5 The .zaDomain Name Authority
The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 provides for the establishment
of the Domain Name Authority. The Domain Name Authority is established as a section 21
company and its overall mandate is to manage and administer the .za namespace. The
Authority is also charged with the responsibility to resolve disputes arising in the domain
name space. There are several disputes over the use domain and registered trademarks.
The Domain management arrangements in South Africa have many independent operators
who administer second-level domain names including the State Information Technology
Agency. In addition to these entities, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) has overall responsibility for managing the Domain Naming System
(DNS). It administers the root domain, delegating control over each Top Level Domain (TLD)
to a ccTLD administrator, such as .za Domain Name Authority (DNA). Because the DNS is
not centralized, the administration of the second-level domain is further delegated to the
above-mentioned registry operators who administer the DNS with a great degree of
independence. Some countries have third and fourth-level domain administrators' names.
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