SNO sets 2H06 launch date

South Africa’s new second national operator (SNO) says it plans to launch a converged fixed-mobile network in the second half of 2006, though some services may be provided sooner. SNO shareholders had previously predicted that the telco would have customers making calls over its network by Christmas 2005, but these plans have since proved unrealistic. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) finally issued the long awaited 25-year SNO licence last week, making the still-unnamed telco the first operator licensed to operate a PSTN in competition to the incumbent, Telkom SA.