Is broadband also a victim of expropriation and nationalisation spooks?
If the white paper on "broadband for all" is implemented, it could negatively affect local innovation and the appetite in investing in infrastructure
"Expropriation will be government’s last resort." This clear and far-reaching statement was made by Deputy Public Works Minister Jeremy Cronin during last year’s heated deliberations over the controversial Expropriation Bill, which still awaits its final destiny. Following arguments about the exact wording of the bill, one could have assumed that all participants, despite ideological differences and procedural preferences, had come to one conclusion: property rights are fundamental in the context of effectively addressing economic and social inequalities in SA. The level of existing protection, which is irrevocably tied to the non-conditional possibility of acquiring new property rights, determines the conduciveness of an investment environment. The latest white paper on ICT, which sketches out the path towards "broadband for all" and the "Internet of Things" tells us something very different. At the core of government’s new policy framework is the wireless wholesale open-access net...
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