South Africa had not had a successful spectrum award in over 10 years, and the industry was in desperate need for additional spectrum. In 2022, ICASA engaged NERA to implement the long-awaited IMT auction.

NERA supported the South African regulator on all tasks related to the implementation of the spectrum allocation. We advised ICASA on the draft Invitation to Apply (ITA) and finalization of the auction rules. We also built and tested the online auction software to implement the auction, relying on a software used for dozens of auctions in the past. NERA then proceeded to support the qualification of applicants and provided documents for and the implementation of the bidder seminar and mock auctions. Finally, NERA managed the live auction alongside ICASA.

NERA successfully completed the auction. Its experience and expertise enabled a flawless execution of the auction process and minimized the potential for legal challenges. All bidders won spectrum in the auction and substantially increased their spectrum portfolios. As a result, ICASA and bidders were very satisfied with how NERA implemented the spectrum auction.