National integrated ICT policy white paper

The National integrated ICT policy white paper "outlines the overarching policy framework for the transformation of South Africa into an inclusive and innovative digital and knowledge society. It reinforces and extends existing strategies such as South Africa Connect, the national broadband policy, the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework, 2012 and the National Information Society and Development Plan.

The Integrated ICT White Paper includes:  Government’s approach to providing cross-government leadership and facilitating multistakeholder participation in the drive for inclusive digital transformation in South Africa (Chapter Four)  Interventions to reinforce fair competition and facilitate innovation in the converged environment including approaches to addressing horizontal and vertical integration across the value chain (Chapter Six).  Addresses issues of ICTs and convergence. (Chapter Seven)  Policies to protect the open Internet (Chapter Eight).  Interventions to facilitate digital transformation of society. These include: o Policies to address the digital divide and ensure affordable access by all to ICTs (Chapter Five). o The approaches to address supply-side issues and infrastructure roll-out, including managing scarce resources such as spectrum and numbers and interventions to facilitate open access and rapid deployment of infrastructure . The chapter further deals with licensing framework for ICTs. (Chapter Nine). o Policies to address demand-side issues in order to facilitate inclusive digital transformation across South Africa (Chapter Ten).  A new national postal sector policy framework (Chapter Eleven) including: o The market structure for the postal sector, o Regulation and licensing of postal services, o The role of the South African Post Office in ensuring universal service and access to postal services, extending financial inclusion and facilitating digital access.  Mechanisms to promote growth in the ICT and postal industries (Chapter Twelve). The institutional frameworks necessary to facilitate implementation of policy approaches (Chapter Thirteen). The core philosophy informing all of the revised policies introduced in this White Paper is a move towards facilitating “openness” – open access, open Internet and open Government."