Brief
Usaasa launches public consultation on universal access as abolition stalls
The agency seeks input on updated definitions for broadband, emergency communications and public access, with comments due 30 October.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (Usaasa) has opened a public consultation on what universal access to communications services should entail, more than 14 years after its last targets lapsed, according to techcentral.co.za.
What happened
The consultation paper, published in the Government Gazette on 2 October, asks whether the minister’s 2010 determination of universal access and universal service should be updated. The 2010 determination (Government Notice 85) set numerical targets for public access points, household access, affordability and broadcasting, but those targets applied for no more than two years.
What the report adds
Usaasa says the 2010 targets “must not be presented as current targets” without separate legal verification and that it still must confirm the present legal status of the determination. The agency proposes a “targeted revision” that retains the 2010 distinction between shared public access and individual/household services, but updates definitions to include broadband and emergency communications. No specific numbers—such as minimum broadband speed or affordability thresholds—are proposed; benchmarks would be developed later through a separate instrument.
What was said
Usaasa’s document cautions against adopting a fixed percentage or speed without testing consequences for low‑income households and stresses that definitions should be technology‑neutral, allowing satellite, wireless and fixed technologies to be treated equally if they meet required service attributes.
How it came about
The consultation follows the government’s stated intention to abolish Usaasa, a move that has left the agency’s future role unclear while it seeks to shape the next phase of universal access policy.
Key facts
- Usaasa opened a public consultation on universal access definitions on 2 October 2026. (techcentral.co.za)
- The 2010 universal access determination set numerical targets that applied for no more than two years. (techcentral.co.za)
- Usaasa’s proposed revision includes broadband and emergency communications but provides no specific speed or affordability targets. (techcentral.co.za)
- Comments on the consultation close on 30 October 2026. (techcentral.co.za)
- The agency says definitions should be technology‑neutral, covering satellite, wireless and fixed technologies. (techcentral.co.za)
Sources
- [1] techcentral.co.za — originally reported as “Usaasa consults on universal access as its abolition stalls”
