Full inbox greets new tech minister
SO, PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has finally fired the feckless Dina Pule and South Africa has yet another communications minister, Yunus Carrim, the seventh to hold the portfolio since 1994.
Will he be any better than his predecessors? That’s hard to know. But the fact that he is a proud, cardcarrying member of the South African Communist Party does not auger well for a sector that thrives not on central control, but on the very opposite of that: openness, competition and deregulation.
And his master’s degree in sociology, from the University of Warwick, is not exactly the sort of qualification that would ordinarily stand one in good stead to understand a complex, rapidly changing sector. One hopes he appoints a strong technical adviser — one who is much less of a loose cannon than Pule’s was. He also needs to impress on Zuma that he needs a strong director-general — someone with extensive experience
Carrim must move rapidly on several fronts, especially digital migration
working in the private sector, who can clean up what has become a dysfunctional department.
The technology sector has been begging for a competent minister for years, one who is prepared to take the bold decisions that will unlock billions in new investment for broadband and grow the economy.
There are some positives about the new minister. He seems untouched by scandal. An MP since 1994, he is relatively unknown in the technology space, but those who have worked with him describe him as a hard worker with attention to detail and a desire to get things done. That, perhaps, outweighs the ideological baggage that Carrim may or may not bring. If he can get things done quickly, it will be a major step forward over his predecessors, who favoured endless industry indabas and colloquia, but who never actually made the big decisions. Of course, if he brings woolly socialist thinking to the portfolio — such as nationalising Telkom again or a central role for the state in competing in the sector— then any good he does through making quick policy decisions could be rapidly undone.
Carrim needs to move swiftly on several fronts. Arguably the most important of them is getting a move on with digital migration. South Africa has fallen behind many emerging-market peers in moving terrestrial television broadcasters off analogue to more efficient digital signals. The new minister cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors if the country is to meet its commitment to the International Telecommunication Union to switch off analogue broadcasts by June 2015. He does not have the time to entertain every industry lobbyist who knocks on his door, and there will be plenty of them knocking.
Tied to digital migration is the need to open up radio frequency spectrum so that wireless broadband operators can deploy 4G networks. Again, tough decisions will have to be made here, given the scarcity of spectrum. Which operators should get access? Incumbents Vodacom and MTN argue that only they have deep enough pockets to afford to build networks that are national in scope. Prospective new entrants — the bigger internet service providers are among them — argue that the incumbents have a cosy cartel and the only way of bringing down prices for consumers is by opening up spectrum to new players.
Carrim must maximise competition and investment at the same time. Figuring out how to balance the two is arguably his most important job.
Another big challenge on Carrim’s plate is figuring out what to do about Telkom. As a communist, he is unlikely to do what should have been done years ago: sell the 40% stake the government holds in the company. But will he want to play a more active role in its affairs? Telkom has its strongest management team in years. They need support, not an interfering hand.
Not surprisingly, expectations in the industry and among consumers for real delivery from the Department of Communications have hit rock bottom. Perhaps a hard-working communist with a sociology degree will surprise us all. Here’s holding thumbs.
McLeod is editor of TechCentral.co.za. Follow him on Twitter at @mcleodd