Page 99 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Applications to take part in an upcoming sale The Ministry of Transport and Communications
of spectrum in the 26GHz band are now being (Liikenne-ja viestintaministerio, MoTC) has announced
accepted, the Finnish Transport and Communications that the government has finalized the regulations that
Agency (Liikenne- ja viestintavirasto, Traficom) has will underpin a forthcoming auction of spectrum in the
Finland announced. With the frequencies in question to be 26GHz band. Confirming the details in a press release,
offered via an auction that will get underway on 8
the MoTC noted that it will offer three 800MHz blocks
June 2020, the regulator has confirmed that those in the 26GHz band at auction, with this spectrum
interested in taking part have until 20 May to submit covering mainland Finland, and it has set a starting
their applications. A total of three network licenses are price of EUR7 million (USD7.6 million) for each block.
to be made available, and those companies that secure Meanwhile, the MoTC has also confirmed that the lower
them will be able to utilize the spectrum from 1 July part of the 26GHz band (24.25GHz-25.10GHz) is to be
2020 for 5G deployments; the concessions will be valid excluded from the sale process and reserved for the
until 31 December 2033. In a press release regarding construction of local networks. With the regulations
the matter, Traficom claimed that assigning the 26GHz set to officially enter into force on 15 April, would-
band for 5G by auction ‘enhances Finland’s position be participants for the spectrum sale will be able to
as the 5G leader’, while suggesting that the additional register to take part from 21 April, while the start date
frequencies will allow for those operators that have for the auction has been confirmed as 8 June 2020.
rolled out 5G connectivity to offer ‘additional capacity Beyond that, the ministry has confirmed that 26GHz
and greater speed’. frequencies will be useable for the construction of 5G
(April 22, 2020) commsupdate.com networks from 1 July 2020. (April 9, 2020) commsupdate.com

The telecom regulator Arcep is considering a request to roaming by reducing speeds until 31 December 2020.
extend the roaming agreement which allows Free Mobile If the latest contractual amendment is agreed, Free
to use Orange’s 2G and 3G network. The extension Mobile customers’ roaming upstream and downstream
would be for two years to December 31, 2022. The deal speeds would be capped at 384 Kbits in 2021 and
France was first struck in 2011, when Free Mobile entered the 2022. There would also be no increase in the capacity
of interconnection links between the Free Mobile and
market, to run until December 2020. The extension
follows a request from Free Mobile based on a need Orange core networks for roaming. The amendment
to offer competitive coverage. Since 2015, Arcep has sets out the financial terms that would apply in 2021
had the power to request that mobile operators amend and 2022. This includes a financial mechanism which
their network-sharing agreements to meet regulatory would be introduced in 2022 to encourage “a reduction
obligations. Free Mobile and Orange amended their in the number of Free Mobile customers who are using
agreement in 2016 to include the gradual termination of Orange’s 2G/3G network”. (April 13, 2020) mobileeurope.co.uk

The Federal Network Agency (FNA, known locally as per cent of households nationwide with minimum data
the Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA) has ordered four rates of 50Mb/s by 1 January. It granted an extension
mobile operators to reduce the fees they charge for until 31 December, with interim milestones along the
mobile number portability (MNP) from around EUR30 way, but said it would consider financial penalties if the
Germany (USD32.6) to EUR6.82 (gross). In February the regulator amended deadline was not met. A review of coverage
found Telefonica missed targets for all 13 federal
reduced the wholesale porting fee to EUR3.58 (net)
and while most providers went on to lower their end- states in the country, while it only reached 80 per cent
user charges, freenet, 1&1 Drillisch, 1&1 Telecom and on traffic routes, compared with a goal for ubiquitous
Telefonica Deutschland failed to reduce their MNP fees coverage of these. Deutsche Telekom fell short in three
to the maximum EUR6.82 specified by the FNA with states, but came closer than its rival on transport,
effect from 20 April. (April 21, 2020) commsupdate.com with 97 per cent coverage of motorways and 96 per
cent of railways. Vodafone was similar, missing the
The telecom regulator threatened punitive action if goals covering four states, with 96 per cent coverage
operators failed to meet a fresh set of mobile broadband on motorways and 95 per cent rail. In addition to the
coverage targets, after missing conditions set as part of financial threat, Bnetza said it would strictly monitor
a spectrum auction in June 2015. Bundesnetzagentur work to fill the gaps, with operators required to submit
(Bnetza) stated Telefonica Deutschland, Deutsche monthly reports on their progress.
Telekom and Vodafone Germany failed to supply 98 (April 15, 2020) mobileworldlive.com

99 APRIL 2020