Satellite connectivity is getting its own rulebook as South Africa’s spectrum landscape begins shifting. But that is only one major change on its way.
Between April and July 2026, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (the DCDT) published the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, 2026 (the ECAB) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) published a series of draft and final notices in the Government Gazette that, together, reset or propose to reset the rules for mobile, satellite and innovative shared-access spectrum use.
If you operate a network, provide satellite services or are simply keeping track of where South African connectivity is headed, here is what has changed, when it changed and why it matters.
Timeline of legislative and regulatory developments
- On 20 April 2026, the DCDT published the ECAB. If passed as is, it would change the law to introduce a “use it or share it” rule for spectrum. Written representations on the ECAB are due by 16h00 on 21 August 2026.
- On 15 May 2026, ICASA published draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 2015, proposing a dedicated regulatory regime for Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM) and satellite space segment registration, alongside draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Fees Regulations, 2010, which would overhaul how Gateway Earth Station and satellite terminal network fees are calculated. Written representations on both were due on 29 June 2026, with public hearings tentatively scheduled for 19 and 20 August 2026.
- On 22 May 2026, ICASA issued new Regulations on Dynamic Spectrum Access and Opportunistic Spectrum Management in the Innovation Spectrum, covering the 3800–4200 MHz and 5925–6425 MHz bands. These regulations came into force on publication and create a licence-exempt, database-driven sharing framework for these bands.
- On 24 July 2026, ICASA published: the National Radio Frequency Plan 2026 (the NRFP2026), repealing and replacing the 2021 plan; the finalised International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) Roadmap 2026, repealing the 2014 and 2019 roadmaps; draft Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plans (RFSAPs) for nine bands spanning 1710 MHz to 71 GHz, including the closely watched 3300-3800 MHz band; and initial feasibility studies for nine IMT bands, including 3600-3800 MHz.
Written representations on the draft RFSAPs and feasibility studies are due by 16h00 on 4 September 2026.
What is actually changing?
- A proposed legislative backstop for unused spectrum. The ECAB, if passed as is, would change the law to introduce a “use it or share it” rule for spectrum: if a licensee leaves assigned spectrum unused for two years, ICASA could let another operator share it, subject to conditions on coordination and interference, and taking the original licensee’s own rollout plans into account. This rule would not apply to spectrum used for scientific purposes. ICASA would have to draw up rules for how this works, including how sharing deals are struck and unused spectrum is monitored. Priority would be given to community networks and small businesses to take up the spectrum on a shared basis and sharing operators would get a 12-month fee holiday. The original licensee could still reclaim its unused spectrum on 12 months’ notice if it can show a real need to use it within the next year.
- An updated National Radio Frequency Plan, in line with international trends. The NRFP 2026 is now in force, setting out how the entire 8.3 kHz–3000 GHz range is allocated across services in South Africa – the reference point against which every other instrument in this package operates.
- A long-term roadmap for mobile spectrum. The IMT Roadmap 2026 sets out ICASA’s medium-to-long-term (5–10 year) vision for assigning spectrum for mobile broadband, aligned with International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (“ITU-R”) recommendations and the outcomes of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (“WRC-23”). It confirms that 1,155 MHz is currently identified for IMT use in South Africa (with 794 MHz already assigned to licensees) and flags a further 1,145 MHz of mid-band spectrum now under feasibility review. Demand forecasts in the Roadmap suggest South Africa may eventually need anywhere between roughly 3,000 MHz and over 14,000 MHz of IMT spectrum, depending on usage patterns and fibre/Wi-Fi offload.
- Draft assignment plans for nine bands. The draft RFSAPs set the technical and licensing rules – including power limits, channelling, cross-border co-ordination and migration timelines – for 1710-2200 MHz, 3300-3800 MHz, 4800-4990 MHz, 6425-7125 MHz and five millimetre-wave bands up to 71 GHz. The 1710-2200 MHz RFSAP already requires incumbent licensees in the 1880-1900 MHz sub-band to migrate out within 24 months of that RFSAP taking effect.
- Feasibility studies clearing the way for more mid-band capacity. The 3600–3800 MHz band, adjacent to the 3300–3600 MHz range that has already been assigned for IMT use, is one of nine bands now subject to a formal feasibility study weighing economic and technical feasibility, ecosystem maturity and international alignment ahead of eventual assignment.
- A new lane for shared, licence-exempt access. The Dynamic Spectrum Access regulations open the 3800-4200 MHz and 5925-6425 MHz bands to secondary, opportunistic use via a Unified Spectrum Switch, with no exclusive licence required for the 5925-6425 MHz range. This is aimed squarely at expanding rural and underserved-area access and lowering entry barriers for SMMEs and community network operators.
- Satellite gets its own rulebook. The draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations propose introducing a formal authorisation regime for ESIMs (aircraft, maritime and land terminals in motion) and a no-fee registration process for foreign satellite space segment operators. Non-compliance with interference and radio astronomy protection obligations is proposed to carry penalties of up to ZAR 5 million. The parallel fee amendments introduce a frequency-based discount factor for Gateway Earth Stations, rewarding higher, less congested bands, and a simplified blanket-licence fee structure for satellite terminal networks, including ESIMs.
Why it matters
For clients in the sector, these developments are the clearest signal yet of where South Africa’s spectrum pipeline is heading over the next decade – and they create immediate, time-bound opportunities to shape outcomes.
Mobile and wireless network operators should review the draft RFSAPs and feasibility studies now, particularly on mid-band and millimetre-wave allocations, given the 4 September 2026 submission deadline.
Satellite operators, including new entrants providing ESIM-based connectivity, face a materially changed authorisation and fee landscape. The 29 June 2026 comment deadline on those instruments has closed, and ICASA has since tentatively scheduled public hearings on 19 and 20 August 2026 as the next step in finalising the framework.
Any business eyeing rural connectivity, IoT, or innovative wireless deployments should assess whether the new licence-exempt Innovation Spectrum bands offer a faster, cheaper route to market than a traditional spectrum licence.
Existing spectrum licensees should also keep the ECAB on their radar: if enacted in its current form, it would put unused assigned spectrum at risk of mandatory sharing (or, ultimately, withdrawal) after two years, making active deployment planning and evidence of utilisation increasingly important.
We are tracking these developments closely and are ready to assist with submissions, licensing strategy, and compliance planning across any of these workstreams. Get in touch with our specialists (Peter Grealy, Livia Dyer, Karl Blom, Wendy Tembedza, Prineil Padayachy and Humayra Hajat) to discuss what this means for you.