WAPA

WAPA Press Release 23rd November 2006

-WAPA commences with a Census of the WISP Industry-

The Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA) has been formed and currently represents 15 operators in the Western Cape.

The Association aims to represent the interests of the rapidly growing industry through self-regulation, proactive engagement of the regulator (ICASA) and through the provision of a platform for efficiently managing consumer complaints. The impetus for the initiative goes back to talks held with ICASA Head Office during 2005, during the course of which the Regulator gave support to the establishment of such a body.

One of the first tasks of the new Association was to conduct a brief census of the industry as represented by the 15 founding members.

Results indicate that, while the industry is young, it has shown more than 100% growth in the last year and, as of October 2006, can lay claim to being a significant player in the economy…

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Students from the Global ICT Department of the World Bank, Georgia Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted a survey on the license-exempt use of radio technologies in Africa. Here are the results of their survey:

New radio technologies and public policies have, in many countries, allowed transmission on specific frequencies by individuals without a license. These license-exempt, or “unlicensed,” bands (including 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz in the United States and much of Europe) are increasingly used for data and voice communications through technologies such as Wi-Fi. We surveyed all African countries on the regulation and use of these bands to assess the implications of unlicensed wireless for telecommunications and Internet development in Africa. Responses from differing country informants, though mostly from regulators, were received from nearly every country on the continent. Responses showed significant policy diversity across countries, with wide variation observed in licensing and equipment certification requirements, enforcement, and restrictions on power output, range, and service offerings. We argue that this regulatory diversity across the continent inhibits economies of scale and may discourage large entrants. Furthermore, lack of clarity and enforcement discourages innovation and small entrepreneurs.

Click here to for more information and to download the PDF

It’s official! WISPs to form WAPA. Read more about it on ITWeb:

Click here

In what has been termed a momentous occasion, the of the Wireless Acces Providers Association was unanimously adopted and the second meeting of WAPA.

At a meeting held, Friday 17 August 2006, the WAPA Management Committee was elected.

The members are:

• Chairperson - David Jarvis
• Secretary - Amelia van der Vyver
• Treasurer - Eugene van der Merwe
• Member - Jacques Loubser
• Member - Johann Botha

From left to right, Johann, Jacques, Amelia, David, and Eugene

The new WAPA web site was launched on the 13th of November 2006. Our aim is to bring together people in the wireless industry. The new site also consolidates all prior information regarding our industry.