South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies attended the G20 Digital Economy Ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia on 1 September 2022. According to Bloomberg, the meeting was the culmination of the Digital Economy Working Group’s (DEWG) meetings which had discussed “three priority issues of the digital economy at the G20 Indonesia Presidency, including digital connectivity, digital skills and literacy, and cross-country data flow.” The Minister’s speech touched on the digital divide and explained how prioritising the licensing of frequency spectrum will help with this. It is significant that she mentions the benefits of spectrum because South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the Draft Next Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy for public comment. This policy “seeks to promote equity and fair allocation [of spectrum] to contribute towards the transformation of the sector and accessibility of digital connectivity even in outlying parts of the country.” We will update you as soon as the Draft Next Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy is published.
G20 Digital Economy Ministers meeting and Draft Next Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy
An update - Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies' G-20 speech and the Draft Next Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy.
