On 13 November 2024, the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) issued Circular No. 12/2024 proposing to commence the retirement of 2G and 3G mobile communications networks in Eswatini. The notice proposes to retire 2G technology on or before December 31, 2026, and 3G technology by December 31, 2028, as well as to prohibit the import into Eswatini of devices that only support 2G and 3G and type approval of such equipment from December 31, 2024.

Click on this link to view the original public consultation. The deadline for comments is 9 December 2024.

On 24 October 2024, the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) published new guidelines for the use of license-exempt frequency bands. The document provides detailed technical specifications and requirements for a variety of products and applications, including short-range equipment (SRD), automotive equipment, data networking equipment, telecommunications/terminal equipment, and multimedia equipment.

Manufacturers and importers must ensure that their products receive type approval from the Commission and comply with the permissible frequency bands, power limits, and other technical parameters outlined in the guidelines. These guides cover a variety of technologies and applications, including LoRaWAN, Sigfox, WAS/RLAN for BFWA, non-specific short-range devices, track and trace, rail applications, transportation and traffic telematics, radiodetermination, alarming, model control, sensing applications, wireless microphone applications, active medical implants, RFID, and medical data acquisition, among others.

The guidelines also emphasize compliance with international standards, such as ERC Recommendation 70-03 and the ICNIRP Guidelines. Notably, the document encourages the migration of IoT services from IPv4 to IPv6. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in operational closure and other enforcement actions.

Click this link to view the original text of the new guide.