Page 76 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

the regulatory community in 2020 and and 2018, the region increased its average succeeded in attaining G4 status since
continues to set out the decades-long ICT score more than all other regions, with 2012, while two are in the G5 category.
regulation story as our industry develops thirteen countries now having attained G4
and responds to major world crises like the status. Though progress has been made in the CIS
2008 financial crash and COVID-19." region, regulatory frameworks are moving
The Arab States have seen slow progress in at a slower pace, with average annual
The Global ICT Regulatory Outlook 2020 moving up the 'generation ladder', although scores since 2007 consistently below the
also offers an overview of the state of pace will likely accelerate over the next two world average.
regulation in all ITU regions: years with major reforms expected in some
Regulatory frameworks in Africa have States. Major movement in the region has Europe leads other regions, with 28
evolved the most over the past ten years; come through G2 countries progressing countries placing in G4 and no fewer
as of 2018, only two African nations remain to the G3 category. Three States are now than ten in the G5 category. While annual
in the G1 category. Africa's score has kept classified as G4 countries and one Arab average scores of Europe have consistently
pace with the rise in world averages, and country has reached G5 collaborative been the highest since 2007, the gap
has exceeded averages of the Arab States, regulation category. between European annual average scores
Asia-Pacific and CIS. and world averages has greatly narrowed
Asia-Pacific presents a very diverse range from 45 per cent in 2007 to 21 per cent in
In the Americas, over a third of countries of countries in terms of regulatory maturity. 2018.
have now achieved the highest G4 and G5 Across the region, only four countries have
generations of regulation. Between 2007 attained G4 status and no countries have

EC Approves United Group’s Acquisition of Vivacom

The EC has approved the acquisition of Bulgarian telecoms
operator Vivacom by Netherlands-based telecoms and media
firm United Group, owned by BC Partners. The EC concluded
that a lack of competition was unlikely considering the ‘very
limited increase in the merged entity’s market position and the
presence of several other players in the market of retail supply
of pay-TV services.’ With the EC satisfied that the deal will
not create issues around competition in the market, United
Group will become the sole controller of Vivacom’s parent firm,
Viva Telecom Bulgaria. United Group agreed to purchase the
Bulgarian operator in November 2019. As previously reported by (46%) is listed as Spas Roussev (via Viva Edge Telecom). Other
TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in mid-2019 Vivacom majority minority investors are listed as follows: VTB Bank, Delta Capital
owner Spas Roussev confirmed that the telco was up for sale, Investments (controlled by Milen Velchev, Georgi Velchev and
with Lazard appointed to sell the business, valued at around Krasimir Katev), Michael Tennenbaum and companies managed
EUR1.2 billion (USD1.35 billion). Vivacom is currently owned by by Mezzanine Management Central Europe II. The telco was sold
holding company Viva Telecom Bulgaria, itself a subsidiary of to its current owners in late 2015, following an auction triggered
Luxembourg-based InterV Investment, which in turn is wholly by a default on a loan repayment to VTB Capital by a Luxembourg
owned by Viva Telecom (Luxembourg), whose main shareholder holding company.

Court Suspends Regulator’s Decision to Cancel Intertelecom’s 4G License

The Kiev District Administrative Court CDMA-800 licenses which Intertelecom it was cancelling the LTE license it had
has suspended a decision of the National was ordered to give up in certain regions allocated to Intertelecom in February, as
Commission for State Regulation of under spectrum reframing agreements the CDMA provider still owed UAH193.6
Communications & Informatization between Ukraine’s main cellcos and the million (USD6.88 million) in license fees,
(NCCIR/NKRZI) which cancelled CDMA regulator. All licenses remain valid until the having handed over just UAH1 million.
operator Intertelecom’s 4G LTE license, court makes a final decision on the lawsuit Intertelecom’s pleas for further extensions
reports Liga.Tech. The court also filed by Intertelecom against the NCCIR. were refused by the watchdog.
suspended the NCCIR’s decision to revoke The NCCIR announced on 1 April 2020 that

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