Page 104 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

To that end, the MTC said it has coordinated with consume customers’ data allowance. A spokesperson
the nation’s telcos to ensure that the public are for the MTC said that six million students and 600,000
not charged for accessing the government’s home teachers would be able to use the home schooling
schooling website and that utilizing the site does not platform free of charge. (April 7, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Department of Information and Communications providing fixed internet services to homes. “We can
Technology (DICT) will lower the spectrum user’s encourage small players, small ISPs (internet service
fee (SUF) for telecommunication companies on their providers), to improve their infrastructure and their
fixed WiFi internet connectivity services to homes services,” Rio said. He said thousands of ISPs stand
Philippines and offices as a move to encourage telcos to improve to benefit. “In our provinces, there are so many small
ISPs,” he said.
the speed, accessibility and cost of their services
to Filipino homes, especially during the extended (April 27, 2020) philstar.com
enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in most
parts of the country due to the coronavirus disease The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)
(COVID-19) pandemic. Eliseo Rio Jr., undersecretary has directed all Public Telecommunication Entities
for operations, said the DICT will issue a department (PTEs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to submit
order to the National Telecommunications Commission a business continuity plan that details measures they
(NTC) for the lowering of the SUF for the provision of have taken to ensure uninterrupted service in view of the
fixed internet to homes and offices by telcos. “(DICT) increased demand for information and communications
Secretary (Gregorio) Honasan is going to come up with technology (ICT) services. In a statement, the
a department order, a policy that will lower the SUF Department of Information and Communications
for frequencies being used for internet connectivity, Technology (DICT) said the order aims to boost efforts
WiFi internet frequencies and IP (internet protocol) at maintaining the operation of vital ICT services and
radio frequencies,” Rio told The STAR in a phone supporting infrastructure, as the national government
interview the other day. “The spectrum user’s fee for extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)
all spectrum that are used for internet WiFi, IP radios until April 30 in a bid to curb the further spread of the
will be reduced substantially,” Rio said. He said the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “For the duration
DICT wanted to encourage further the current surge of the ECQ, telecommunications play a key role as
in work-from-home (WFH) arrangements prevailing many businesses shift from traditional operations
among private companies and the skeleton staff in to work-from-home arrangements for health and
government offices during the ECQ being enforced safety concerns,” the department said. According to
as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. “Now, DICT, the order is also in line with its directive to the
our problem is that the internet connectivity going to NTC to monitor mobile network operators and ISPs
homes is not fast enough and the subscription price to ensure continued provision of reliable services
is expensive because many are connected through the through sufficient bandwidth allocation. Reports
mobile network (of big telcos),” Rio said. “There is a on the business continuity plans are expected to
serious shortage of cable to the home, fiber optic to be submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of
the home, at least even just the fixed line, fixed wireless the NTC on or before April 17. The DICT said these
broadband,” Rio said, stressing the need to strengthen measures also complement the Republic Act No.
cyber infrastructure. By lowering the SUF for the fixed 11469, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Heal as
wireless broadband internet services, Rio said they One Act,” which mandates the continued operation of
can help telcos, especially the small players in the telecommunications as a critical service during the
other urban centers outside Metro Manila, focused on ECQ. (April 14, 2020) newsinfo.inquirer.net

Poland publicized plans to dismantle its current 5G because operators had already made moves, the
auction and restart the tender process, to avoid any postponement undermined the legal status of the
legal ramifications after it delayed the sale due to the process. “The government’s intention is to introduce
COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. In a statement, a commercially functioning fifth generation network
Poland the Ministry of Digital Affairs said suspending the to Poland as soon as possible and meet the deadlines
process on the assumption of continuing when the
set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe.” “Therefore,
epidemic subsides was not in line with auction rules, having regard to the possible consequences, as well as
leaving it open to legal challenges. Poland’s regulator, the above-mentioned safety issues, it was decided to
the Office of Electronic Communications, put the repeat the entire procedure”, the ministry stated. The
auction on ice in mid-April, but the government noted ministry also detailed a revamp of Poland’s telecoms

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