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Six telecommunication companies have applied for broadband spectrum licences, despite the auctioning being subject to litigation by one of the applicants.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) announced on Monday that Cell C, MTN, Vodacom, Rain, Liquid Telecoms and Telkom, which is the main litigant in the upcoming case against the regulator, had applied to take part in the long-delayed auction slated for 8 March.
According to Icasa, the closing of the application process "marks an important and critical step towards the auctioning of high-demand spectrum in March 2022".
The application window period closed on 31 January, and Icasa said qualified bidders would be announced on 21 February.
The country's first auction of broadband spectrum in over 14 years will first face legal scrutiny in a case brought by Telkom. The company, which is partly owned by the government, is seeking a review of the auction process, which it says is skewed towards bigger operators.
Earlier this month, Telkom dropped its application for an urgent interdict, after an agreement was reached with other operators to bring forward the hearing of the merits of its case.
Telkom's review is expected to be heard from 1 to 4 March.
The auction of spectrum has been hampered by numerous legal challenges, and Icasa's chairperson, Keabetswe Modimoeng, says "public interest should prevail" as the process will "yield positive spinoffs for the industry and society at large".
