South Africa withdraws Woan spectrum reservation

Communications minister Solly Malatsi formally withdrew the reservation of high-demand spectrum for the wireless open-access network Woan, more than four years after cabinet moved to scrap the scheme. Regulator Icasa is now free to license roughly 50MHz that has sat idle since 2020.

• Amendment to the 2019 high-demand spectrum policy was gazetted and took effect immediately
• About 50MHz is affected: 2x10MHz at 700MHz and 1x30MHz at 2.6GHz
• Icasa suspended the Woan licensing timetable in November 2021
• MTN and Vodacom had urged release of the unused spectrum