Page 86 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

support emergency telecom/ICT efforts. establish priority call routing on both and recovery: e.g. exemptions from duties
Therefore, exceptional expedited licensing mobile and fixed networks for people and tariffs, clear expedited processes and
procedures should be in place, free of engaged in COVID-19 response as well as streamlined paperwork. In addition, once
charge, for use. These licenses should be other entities and institutions involved in the equipment needs to be returned to
temporary and valid only during this period such activities. the place of origin, expedited processes
of emergency response and recovery until (d) Network redundancy should be in place to help streamline the
the government has determined that there Network redundancy is a critical element return process.1
is no further need for the service being of a robust network that will minimize 4. Multi-stakeholder collaboration
provided. telecom/ICT outages during this period. There should be coordinated efforts during
(b) Frequency allocation Disaster networks need to consider this period and clearly defined functions
Frequency planning and allocation redundancy and resilience in their for different government institutions,
are critical at this time for mitigation, design, as well as increase the number e.g. ministries of foreign affairs, ICT and
preparedness, response and recovery. of terminals. Regulators need to ensure communications, customs, regulatory
Governments should make the necessary that telecom/ICT providers have networks agencies and first responders such as
spectrum available on a national basis to with adequate redundancy and multiple hospitals among others. Also, there should
allow for multiple types of applications and connectivity options for the authorities be a collaboration with the private sector,
services, from narrowband voice services involved in combating COVID-19. including telecom/ICT operators, private
up to broadband-intensive applications. (e) Importing telecom/ICT equipment networks, and amateur radio among
A combination of spectrum bands should Major delays during the importation of others to give support and insights to
be available free of charge for emergency telecom/ICT critical equipment have a the government on the collection of data
communications, allowing both terrestrial negative impact on the response time to a and dissemination of information to the
and satellite systems to be quickly disaster, and even impact the likely loss of public. Regulators should, therefore, carry
deployed with limited interference. lives. Delays can occur for several reasons, out a set of activities and procedures to
(c) Priority call routing including duties or tariffs, restrictions connect all actors in the ecosystem at the
During such times, networks could fail based on local standards, extensive local, national and international levels and
to provide service for different reasons, paperwork, disorganized processes, etc. ensure effective flow of information as the
one of them being overload thus Rules should be in place to expedite the continent fights COVID-19.
delaying or altogether preventing critical importation process of critical telecom/ICT
communication. Regulators should equipment that might be used for response

FCC to Implement Executive Order on Foreign Ownership in Telecoms Sector

Commissioner Michael O’Rielly of the US enforcement interests posed by such i. the Secretary of State
Federal Communications Commission applications or licenses ii. the Secretary of the Treasury
(FCC) issued a statement backing (ii) to respond to any risks presented by iii. the Secretary of Commerce
President Trump’s Executive Order on applications or licenses by recommending iv. the Director of the Office of
foreign ownership in the communications to the FCC, as appropriate, that it dismiss Management and Budget
sector, which establishes a new committee an application, deny an application, v. the United States Trade
and new procedures to review applications condition the grant of an application upon Representative
involving foreign investment. The compliance with mitigation measures, vi. the Director of National Intelligence
Commissioner stated: ‘I will request that modify a license with a condition of vii. the Administrator of General
[FCC] Chairman Pai move expeditiously compliance with mitigation measures, or Services
to integrate the new Executive Order into revoke a license. viii. the Assistant to the President for
our review process.’ The Order establishes The Committee is composed of the National Security Affairs
the Committee for the Assessment of following members: ix. the Assistant to the President for
Foreign Participation in the United States i. the Secretary of Defence Economic Policy
Telecommunications Services Sector, the ii. the Attorney General (the Chair of the x. the Director of the Office of Science
primary objective of which is to ‘assist the Committee) and Technology Policy
FCC in its public interest review of national iii. the Secretary of Homeland Security xi. the Chair of the Council of Economic
security and law enforcement concerns iv. the head of any other executive Advisers
that may be raised by foreign participation’ department or agency, or any Assistant xii. any other Assistant to the
in the US telecoms sector. The functions of to the President, as the President President, as the President
the Committee shall be: determines appropriate. determines appropriate.
(i) to review applications and licenses v. The following officials shall be advisors
for risks to national security and law to the Committee:

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