South Africa scraps WOAN spectrum reservation

South Africa's government has withdrawn the 2019 policy requiring part of high-demand spectrum to be reserved for a wireless open access network (WOAN). The spectrum, unassigned for seven years, is now available for licensing by regulator ICASA.

• WOAN policy was approved in 2019 but the network was never licensed
• Minister Solly Malatsi withdrew the spectrum reservation requirement
• Spectrum is now open for licensing by ICASA
• Lease, universal access and anti-monopoly obligations remain in place