Infrastructure Sharing
The growth of telecommunications services especially mobile telephony, since 1996 has led to the worldwide proliferation of telecommunications infrastructure across towns, cities and the countryside. This proliferation has led to negative visual impacts on the cityscape and landscape as they have no respect to important aesthetic/scenic views and amenity of both the built and natural environments.
In view thereof, the BOCRA in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the public telecommunications operators has established guidelines to facilitate the sharing of all the passive elements of the communications infrastructure among operators.
Objectives Of The Guidelines
The Primary object of these Guidelines is to establish a framework within which communications operators can negotiate and conclude sharing arrangements for passive infrastructure, and for that purpose, specifically to:
- Ensure that the incidence of unnecessary duplication of passive infrastructure is minimised or completely avoided;
- Protect the environment by reducing the proliferation of infrastructure and facilities installations or deployment;
- Promote fair competition through equal access being granted to the Passive infrastructure of operators, where applicable on mutually agreed terms;
- Minimise operators’ expenditure on supporting infrastructures and to free more funds for investment in core network equipment, innovative and affordable services; and
- Encourage the operators to take public health and safety and the environment into account when constructing and or deploying infrastructure.
