Page 109 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

the failure of Intertelcom to find funding for its spec- whilst ordering it to disconnect 9-15 frequency chan-
trum draws into question its ability to continue serving nels in the Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and
existing CDMA customers. The NCCIR has requested Volyn regions in line with certain agreements between
Intertelecom submit an action plan within ten days, the 4 cellcos and the regulator.(April 2, 2020) commsupdate.com

Ofcom will advertise licenses for small-scale DAB in to the proposals in the consultation, Ofcom will now
batches, starting with 25 local areas. Five of those not require all program services carried by small-
areas will be where a trial is already operating – scale radio multiplex services to be broadcast using
Cambridge, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol and Norwich. the DAB+ standard. Ofcom adds: “Licensing the trial
United In the second batch, applications will be invited for the multiplex areas in the South East of England will need
north west of England and north east Wales. Under the
to wait until Round 4 due to international agreements
Kingdom timescale plans announced, it will take Ofcom over not yet in place for use of the spectrum.” Community
four years to advertise and award all the multiplexes radio applications, in the form of the new Community
currently planned. In terms of advertising, Ofcom said: Digital Sound Program (‘C-DSP’) licenses, will open
“We have planned initially on the basis of eight rounds for each local area at the same time as the publication
of licensing and anticipate that each round will take of multiplex license advertisements. Any radio station
approximately nine months from the date of advertising operating a C-DSP will need to provide social gain and
the licenses to the last license award. This includes a have a studio based within the multiplex coverage
12-week period for applications to be submitted and area. And anyone winning a small-scale DAB multiplex
a further six months for Ofcom to assess applications license will need to launch it within 18 months. Kevin
and award licenses. “We expect to advertise each batch Bakhurst, Ofcom’s Content Group Director, said:
of licenses approximately 12 weeks before we complete “Small-scale DAB is making it cheaper and easier for
our assessment of the applications received in the local stations to get on the digital airwaves, which will
previous round. Hence we would advertise batches of give more choice to listeners up and down the country.”
licenses every six months approximately.” In a change (April 8, 2020) radiotoday.co.uk

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ajit Pai circulated a draft order to his colleagues that
has reportedly approved the new MVNO deal granted would approve with conditions Ligado’s application to
to Boost Mobile, the Sprint sub-brand which is being deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in
sold to satellite TV giant DISH Network. According the L-Band. Ligado is now only seeking terrestrial use
United to industry journal Broadcasting+Cable, Charles of the 1526MHz-1536MHz, 1627.5MHz-1637.5MHz
and 1646.5MHz-1656.5MHz bands, and Pai notes
Mathias and Catherine Matraves – the co-directors
States of the T-Mobile/Sprint Task Force – have informed that adjacent band operations, including the Global
T-Mobile US that the proposed wholesale agreement Positioning System (GPS), are protected from
is consistent with the FCC’s goals in requiring the spin- interference. Chairman Pai commented: ‘After many
off. The article quotes the officials as saying: ‘After a years of consideration, it is time for the FCC to make a
careful review of the submitted materials, we find that decision and bring this proceeding to a close. We have
your MVNO agreement with DISH is consistent with compiled an extensive record, which confirms that it
these principles.’ The sale of Boost, which is valued is in the public interest to grant Ligado’s application
at USD1.4 billion, was one of the pre-conditions of the while imposing stringent conditions to prevent harmful
recent merger between Sprint and larger rival T-Mobile interference.’ In February 2012 the FCC declared that
US. It was agreed in July 2019 alongside a USD3.6 LightSquared’s use of non-traditional frequencies in the
billion sale of 800MHz spectrum. DISH expects to 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz bands interfered with GPS satellite
transition from an MVNO to an MNO by 2022. navigation devices and aircraft flight safety equipment.
(April 20, 2020) commsupdate.com Subsequent months saw the stricken company beset
with myriad financial and legal problems, before being
Ligado Networks – the company which emerged from forced into bankruptcy in May 2012. LightSquared
ill-fated open-access 4G start-up LightSquared in emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in
February 2016 – has finally been given the go-ahead late-2015 and duly rebranded as Ligado Networks,
by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a view to targeting the IoT sector.
to utilise its L-band spectrum for 5G. FCC Chairman (April 17, 2020) commsupdate.com
Disclaimer: Information contained in Member News updates, Regional News updates, Policy & Regulatory updates, Satellite News updates, Tech-
nology News updates, Snapshot of Regulatory News SAMENA Countries, Regulatory News beyond SAMENA region and Wholesale News updates
have been obtained from sources, which we deem reliable. SAMENA Telecommunications Council is not liable for any misinformed decisions that the
reader may reach by being solely reliant on information contained herein. Expert advice should be sought.
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