The primary object of this Act is to provide for the regulation of electronic communications in the Republic in the public interest and for that purpose to—
| (a) |
promote and facilitate the convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting, information technologies and other services contemplated in this Act; |
| (b) |
promote and facilitate the development of interoperable and interconnected electronic networks, the provision of the services contemplated in the Act and to create a technologically neutral licensee framework; |
| (d) |
encourage investment, including strategic infrastructure investment, and innovation in the communications sector; |
| (f) |
promote competition within the ICT sector; |
| (g) |
promote an environment of open, fair and non-discriminatory access to broadcasting services, electronic communication networks and to electronic communications services; |
[Section 2(h) substituted by section 2 of the Electronic Communications Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No. 1 of 2014)]
| (i) |
encourage research and development within the ICT sector; |
| (j) |
provide a clear allocation of roles and assignment of tasks between policy formulation and regulation within the ICT sector; |
| (k) |
ensure that broadcasting services and electronic communications services, viewed collectively, are provided by persons or groups of persons from a diverse range of communities in the Republic; |
| (l) |
provide assistance and support towards human resource development within the ICT sector; |
| (m) |
ensure the provision of a variety of quality electronic communications services at reasonable prices; |
| (n) |
promote the interests of consumers with regard to the price, quality and the variety of electronic communications services; |
| (o) |
subject to the provisions of this Act, promote, facilitate and harmonise the achievement of the objects of the related legislation; |
| (p) |
develop and promote SMMEs and cooperatives; |
| (q) |
ensure information security and network reliability; |
| (r) |
promote the development of public, commercial and community broadcasting services which are responsive to the needs of the public; |
| (s) |
ensure that broadcasting services, viewed collectively— |
| (i) |
promote the provision and development of a diverse range of sound and television broadcasting services on a national, regional and local level, that cater for all language and cultural groups and provide entertainment, education and information; |
| (ii) |
provide for regular— |
| (bb) |
actuality programmes on matters of public interest; |
| (cc) |
programmes on political issues of public interest; and |
| (dd) |
programmes on matters of international, national, regional and local significance; |
(iii) cater for a broad range of services and specifically for the programming needs of children, women, the youth and the disabled;
| (u) |
ensure that, in the provision of public broadcasting services— |
| (i) |
the needs of language, cultural and religious groups; |
| (ii) |
the needs of the constituent regions of the Republic and local communities; and |
| (iii) |
the need for educational programmes, are duly taken into account; |
| (v) |
ensure that commercial and community broadcasting licences, viewed collectively, are controlled by persons or groups of persons from a diverse range of communities in the Republic; |
| (w) |
ensure that broadcasting services are effectively controlled by South Africans; |
| (y) |
refrain from undue interference in the commercial activities of licensees while taking into account the electronic communication needs of the public; |
| (z) |
promote stability in the ICT sector. |
Statistics Act, 1999
