The primary object of this Act is to provide for the regulation of electronic communications in the Republic in the public interest and for that purpose to—
| (a) | promote and facilitate the convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting, information technologies and other services contemplated in this Act; |
| (b) | promote and facilitate the development of interoperable and interconnected electronic networks, the provision of the services contemplated in the Act and to create a technologically neutral licensee framework; |
| (d) | encourage investment, including strategic infrastructure investment, and innovation in the communications sector; |
| (f) | promote competition within the ICT sector; |
| (g) | promote an environment of open, fair and non-discriminatory access to broadcasting services, electronic communication networks and to electronic communications services; |
[Section 2(h) substituted by section 2 of the Electronic Communications Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No. 1 of 2014)]
| (i) | encourage research and development within the ICT sector; |
| (j) | provide a clear allocation of roles and assignment of tasks between policy formulation and regulation within the ICT sector; |
| (k) | ensure that broadcasting services and electronic communications services, viewed collectively, are provided by persons or groups of persons from a diverse range of communities in the Republic; |
| (l) | provide assistance and support towards human resource development within the ICT sector; |
| (m) | ensure the provision of a variety of quality electronic communications services at reasonable prices; |
| (n) | promote the interests of consumers with regard to the price, quality and the variety of electronic communications services; |
| (o) | subject to the provisions of this Act, promote, facilitate and harmonise the achievement of the objects of the related legislation; |
| (p) | develop and promote SMMEs and cooperatives; |
| (q) | ensure information security and network reliability; |
| (r) | promote the development of public, commercial and community broadcasting services which are responsive to the needs of the public; |
| (s) | ensure that broadcasting services, viewed collectively— |
| (i) | promote the provision and development of a diverse range of sound and television broadcasting services on a national, regional and local level, that cater for all language and cultural groups and provide entertainment, education and information; |
| (bb) | actuality programmes on matters of public interest; |
| (cc) | programmes on political issues of public interest; and |
| (dd) | programmes on matters of international, national, regional and local significance; |
(iii) cater for a broad range of services and specifically for the programming needs of children, women, the youth and the disabled;
| (u) | ensure that, in the provision of public broadcasting services— |
| (i) | the needs of language, cultural and religious groups; |
| (ii) | the needs of the constituent regions of the Republic and local communities; and |
| (iii) | the need for educational programmes, are duly taken into account; |
| (v) | ensure that commercial and community broadcasting licences, viewed collectively, are controlled by persons or groups of persons from a diverse range of communities in the Republic; |
| (w) | ensure that broadcasting services are effectively controlled by South Africans; |
| (y) | refrain from undue interference in the commercial activities of licensees while taking into account the electronic communication needs of the public; |
| (z) | promote stability in the ICT sector. |
