Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

(DoT) received requests that the additional SUC should that it can assess what steps may be needed to protect
only be charged for the spectrum bands that are being such users following the extension of India’s stay-at-
shared, rather than the operators’ entire spectrum home order to 3 May. TRAI asked cellcos – including
holdings (i.e. including frequencies that they had not two state-owned operators – to provide details such
been permitted to share), indicating that the fee was as the number of users that ran out of credit during
being applied to cellcos incorrectly in some places. the lockdown period and have not recharged their
Consequently, the DoT has requested that the TRAI account, and what proportion of their pre-paid user
recommend whether the SUC should be applied to the bases these customers made up at the start of the
specific band being share or to the Weighted Average lockdown. Providers were also asked how many users
Rate for SUC – which has been derived from all bands were given free credit of INR10 (USD0.13) or more by
– or an alternative, that the TRAI deems fit for purpose. the cellcos to ensure continuous connectivity during
To that end the TRAI has requested stakeholders the shutdown. Once it receives this information, the
submit their views regarding the methodology for the TRAI is expected to finalize advice or instructions for
application of the charge. Further, the regulator has further protective measures for customers that may
sought comments on the potential for the fee to act as have access to communications services limited by
a deterrent to spectrum sharing, and what measures the lockdown extension. The regulator has not yet
could be introduced to promote sharing. taken steps to oblige operators to provide protections
(April 27, 2020) commsupdate.com for potentially vulnerable pre-paid customers, as the
cellcos have each introduced various measures of this
Sector watchdog the Telecom Regulatory Authority kind, such as extending the validity of their plans until
of India (TRAI) has revised the pricing regime for 17 April (i.e. for the original duration of the lockdown
International Termination Charges (ITC) following period), and providing free credit. With the extension
a review of the market. Under the new system, the of the stay-at-home order, however, the TRAI is keen
TRAI has imposed a forbearance regime with a range to ensure that similar protections remain in place, but
of INR0.35 (USD0.0046) per minute to INR0.65 per industry lobby group the Cellular Operators Association
minute. To maintain a level playing field, however, the of India (COAI) has warned that the government may
regulations require access service providers to offer need to provide companies with financial assistance
the same non-discriminatory ITC rate to standalone from the universal service fund. The TRAI has given
and integrated International Long Distance Operators no indication yet that it intends to force providers to
(ILDOs). Explaining the move, the TRAI notes that implement further protective measures, with a senior
the fixed rate of INR0.30 per minute it had imposed TRAI official quoted as saying that: ‘It’s for them to
in February 2018 to mitigate potential grey market come forward and announce extensions of the offers
concerns was amongst the lowest in the world. for pre-paid customers since the lockdown period is
Consultation with industry stakeholders late last year now extended.’ On a similar note, whilst the COAI is
had indicated that the move was an unwarranted keen for the government to acknowledge and address
overcorrection, with the system exacerbating other the level of financial stress in the sector, director
pressures on the industry, such as the shift in traffic general Rajan Mathews clarified that the COAI’s
from carriers to over-the-top (OTT) routes. members would ‘continue to monitor the situation
(April 20, 2020) commsupdate.com and decide on appropriate means to meet the needs
of customers.’ According to the TRAI’s most recent
Sector watchdog the Telecom Regulatory Authority of data, pre-paid users made up more than 95% of India’s
India (TRAI) has asked the nation’s mobile providers mobile customers in September 2019.
to submit data on their pre-paid customer bases, so (April 15, 2020) The Economic Times

The telecoms regulator, ComReg, has announced depending on technology to connect with others and
that it will release additional mobile spectrum to to access services. These regulations will ensure
ease network congestion on the country’s networks that our mobile network operators have the capacity
during the Covid 19 pandemic. The move comes after to accommodate the increase in demand. I’d like to
Ireland an application from Eir, Three Ireland and Vodafone thank ComReg for responding to this need so quickly,”
Ireland for the release of additional spectrum as
Ireland’s Minister for Communications, Climate Action
millions of people across the country are forced to and Environment, Richard Bruton said. The move has
work and study from home. The regulator will release raised objections from both the Irish Aviation Authority
additional spectrum in the 700MHz and 2.6GHz bands, and home broadband provider Virgin Media, who
while simultaneously relaxing restrictions on spectrum both use spectrum in these bands for their current
use in the 2.1GHz band. “Now, more than ever we are operations. The Irish Aviation Authority is particularly

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