Page 92 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

the National Communications Regulatory Authority and the four Scientific Research, and the provision of free digital platforms to
companies providing telecommunications services in Egypt host scientific materials and lectures for students Schools and
and in coordination with the ministries of education and higher universities, in addition to offering incentive offers to citizens by
education; where 20% monthly download capacities were added giving 30 times the balance charged minutes and free units for
with home internet subscriptions For individuals at a cost of 200 citizens when charging with electronic payment methods.
million pounds, free access was also made to the websites of the (April 20, 2020) tra.gov.eg
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and

Iran

Iran’s state-run TV broadcaster is reportedly refusing to years … but they have not cooperated.’ The Iranian government
cooperate with authorities to release spectrum for future 5G has imposed severe restrictions on internet use in the past,
services. A report from Radio Farda says that Islamic Republic encouraging users to instead access a state-controlled national
of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has permits for 5G-capable 700MHz intranet service which carries sanctioned content and is separate
and 800MHz frequencies which are not being used, but it is not from the World Wide Web. For many years, internet connectivity
cooperating with the Ministry of Information and Communication was throttled to narrowband speeds for most users, while the
Technology (MICT) to free the spectrum for reallocation to main cellcos MCI and MTN Irancell had to wait until September
cellcos. ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Jahromi is quoted as 2015 before being permitted to launch 4G wireless networks.
saying: ‘We’ve been trying to get hold of the frequencies for three (April 24, 2020) commsupdate.com

Jordan

Jordan improves its remote learning infrastructure fast, taking hoc plan to ensure the continuity of public and private university
into account the current situation with coronavirus in the region. education. To summarize NPC meeting, Jordan formed three
King Abdullah who chaired the recent National Policies Council main teams to safeguard the national economy; oversee basic
(NPC) meeting hailed the remote approach to the learning and services, including education, higher education, health, water
urged to enhance the whole system. In Jordan, the distance and electricity; and provide legal, administrative, field and media
learning procedures at universities and schools become support to all sectors and task forces. (April 13, 2020) politicallore.com
the common practice under the nationwide lockdown, Petra
news agency reported. To curb the coronavirus spreading, the In a fourth meeting of the Crisis Cell for the Telecommunications
students across the kingdom have the brilliant opportunity to Sector in the presence of representatives from the
study from home. No need to worry because the technical and telecommunications companies Zain, Orange, Umniah to discuss
methodological base from the government is a must, said King all developments related to the telecommunications sector in light
Abdullah. Jordanian ruler called for assisting exporters to meet of the circumstances the Kingdom is going through, and the reports
their obligations in terms of exports without negatively affecting and technical data issued by the authority showed a remarkable
the needs of the local market, the Royal Court statement said. The improvement in The performance and quality of licensed cellular
NPC meeting, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, covered networks and with the testimony of major companies of global
the need for the government and concerned stakeholders to telecommunications system providers, and these results come
enhance remote learning infrastructure and content for university as a result of the Authority's implementation of several proactive
students. The Jordanian authorities should ensure an easy measures to ensure the permanence of cellular networks to
access through reliable telecom network coverage, according to function fully during the exceptional circumstances experienced
a Royal Court statement. During Sunday's meeting, King Abdullah by the Kingdom .The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of
reiterated the need for a dedicated team to follow up on distance the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Dr. Eng. Ghazi Al-
learning for university students to continuously improve it based Jabour stressed the ability of the network system in the Kingdom
on feedback from students and university professors. In addition, to resist the pressures of use that occurred during the last period,
the monarch urged Cabinet to work on meeting the basic needs where daily data traffic increased by (1260) terabytes, or by (31%)
of daily labourers during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 over the cellular networks for the fourth generation On its own,
infection. Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said that the Ministry of the improvement in the rate of increase in download speeds
Higher Education and Scientific Research has prepared the ad ranged between 36% and 73% between cellular companies, which

92 APRIL 2020