Page 3 - EngineerIT September 2021

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

There will be no “new normal”

or the past six months, much has been written I recently attended the ICASA hearing on the draft
about the “new normal”, but the narrative is National Radio Frequency Plan, where industry
Fchanging and is taking on more of an approach and business were invited to comment on ICASA’s
that there will be no “new normal”. Some people want proposal about spectrum allocation. The plan is an
to get the world back to normal, to how it was before the update on previous plans and incorporates some of
pandemic. Others again want to get the world to a new the allocations discussed and agreed on at the ITU
normal. But what both groups are missing is that there Word Radio Conference 2020 (WRC20). Many sectors
will be no normal - not the old one or the new one, for a of the industry made presentations on how they see
long time, if ever. their requirements, with particular focus on ongoing
new developments. It made me wonder if the system
Normal signifies a steady state. Conforming to a of WRC conferences every three years will meet future
standard; usual, typical, or expected. Our perception requirements, as technology is developing faster than
of normality is about expectations. We expect most the regulatory environment.
things to have some semblance of how they are today
and when we wake up tomorrow it will be the same. I firmly believe that there will be no “new normal”. We
It is an unrealistic perception, as Greek philosopher are experiencing a time of new developments at an
Heraclitus so aptly wrote so many years ago: “No man unprecedented rate, which requires a much faster
ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same approach if we want to move forward. The regulatory
river and he’s not the same man.” He also said: “The environment must become more agile, governments
only thing that is constant is change,” and this sums up must act faster, and businesses must adopt new
the position we now find ourselves in. technologies and embrace change faster. Companies
must communicate better and share new developments
If we focus on a ‘new normal” we are focussing on faster and the media must respond appropriately as
stagnation, and that is the last thing the world can well. This is the time when the “new normal” changes at
afford. If one looks back at the many crises that we a quicker pace than ever before.
have witnessed or read about, such as the world wars,
financial disasters and now the Covid-19 pandemic, I believe EngineerIT is ready to take on this challenge
then the one thing that stands out is that we always of the fast sharing of new ideas, and we invite you to
bounce back in a better state than before a crisis. The come along on the journey to the new technological
crisis we are in the middle of now has accelerated world of today - new every day.
trends that were already happening. The Covid -19
pandemic has just speeded it up. Many companies I invite you to share your ideas. Email me today at
were for a long time contemplating allowing working hansv@nowmedia.co.za
from home or working remotely, and companies that
were opposed to the idea have seen the light and Regards
had to make an urgent about-turn to make sure their
businesses would survive. However, just because many Hans van de Groenendaal
of us are now working from home does not mean we 012 991 4662
have reached the “new normal”. Far from it. 082 781 4631

EngineerIT | September 2021 | 1