Fiji answers critics of broadcast license change
Updated
Fiji's interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the current broadcast spectrum licensing practises are haphazard and poorly planned. Fiji has issued temporary licences after having cancelled all existing licences.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says no one will lose their business spectrum allocation, and the re-organisation of the spectrum will allow more businesses to enter Fiji's multimedia communications markets.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji's interim Attorney-General
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SAYED-KHAIYUM: In Fiji the allocation of spectrum was done in a very, very haphazard manner so you have companies, organisations and they're not necessarily media organisations, in fact the bulk of it has got nothing to do with media organisations, have been allocated spectrum more than what they require. So it essentially eats up this limited resource. The idea is to rationalise the allocation. The idea is to ensure that people are using this particular band or frequency in the spectrum only the amount they require, not an overkill on it, because once you do that, because it's a limited resource, you are stopping other participants, new participants from coming into the market. It also stops Fiji from positioning itself for the digital age. That's the purpose of this decree. So your Foreign Minister who's gone out and made some very wide-sweeping remarks, saying this is another attempt to muzzle the media etc., has got absolutely nothing to do with it. He just hasn't even got the wrong end of the stick, he just hasn't even got hold of the stick. Nobody will shut down their business or because of this decree will have to shut down their business. It's essentially to try and rationalise the spectrum allocation to be more available, in fact so we can allow more participants into the market to allow government to be able to call for tenders. It's a bid process. It'll be transparent. That's for new players. The existing players will continue with their business.
COUTTS: The fact that you're issuing or have reissued temporary licenses, does that suggest that some who get a temporary license, and the statement I think is that while you consider who will get a license, does it suggest then that some may not?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: No, no, no again we have not. It's deemed to be temporary. We have not reissued any licenses. It's been deemed to be temporary until this whole exercise is completed. We are getting the assistance of the International Telecommunications Union. They're helping us with it. They themselves have endorsed the fact that it is essential to have a spectrum planning in place for any country. And I've said to you that no business will shut down. It is simply a question of ensuring that the right allocation has been made. That's all there is to it. Simply, if you need one to 50 to operate your business but you've been given one to 100, you don't need 51 to 100.
COUTTS: So there a couple of things there. It means all those who hold existing licenses will continue to do so after the reallocation of the spectrum, and for the new licenses does it mean you're opening it up to more international buyers and bidders?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: We're opening up to people who want to come into the area, into whatever medium it is. It allows us to manage it properly. We have an independent Telecommunications Authority of Fiji which will in fact, once the rationalisation has taken place, will be managing it. It's an independent body. For all of this to happen we in fact commissioned a New Zealand company that carried out the study for us.
COUTTS: So everyone's got a license now to get a reissue or get the license again they'll have to declare the frequencies they're broadcasting on?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: Yes absolutely. I mean for example, again like I said, you are just concentrating on the media organisations, in fact it's very little got to do with media organisations.
COUTTS: Well actually I was going to ask you about the embassies too, will they have to declare their frequencies as well? All the foreign diplomatic embassies?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: That's a different category of fish. What I'm talking to you about are the commercial areas. There's obviously certain areas where in order for us to carry out the rationalisation people have to declare it. Anyway for you to get the frequency in the first place you have to apply to the relevant authority. So it's no big secret as to what they have. The issue is to see how much of it they are using? Are they hogging it? I cannot understand why you are trying to build this up into some sort of paranoia that it's some sort of intrusion in terms of freedom of expression or taking away the rights of the media organisations. It's got nothing to do with it. It's purely the country of Fiji, the state of Fiji needs to position itself for the digital age.
COUTTS: What are the costs associated with the reissuing of the licenses?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: Costs associated for who?
COUTTS: For the licensesees?
SAYED-KHAIYUM: That's a matter that'll be decided, if there will be any costs at all. That's for us to decide, and it's got absolutely nothing to do with Australia.
