Page 79 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

CRTC Lowers Wholesale Broadband Rates to Boost Competition Among

Providers

Canada’s telecoms regulator says it has access as it looks to increase competition the interim rates for monthly capacity, and
lowered the rates for wholesale broadband among internet providers. The lower rates three to 77 per cent lower for access rates.
announced by the CRTC Thursday means “As the demand for faster broadband
it will be cheaper for smaller internet speeds grows, we are putting measures in
providers to buy broadband capacity on place to ensure Canada’s internet market
the networks owned by the big telecom remains dynamic,” said CRTC chair and
providers. The CRTC requires that the large CEO Ian Scott in a statement. Major
cable and telephone companies make telecom companies have warned that their
available parts of their network, at rates set investments in expanding infrastructure
by the regulator, to improve competition could be impacted if wholesale rates are
and lower prices. In 2016, the CRTC set set too low. The CRTC announcement
interim wholesale rates after it decided the was welcomed by the Canadian Network
rates proposed by the telecom companies Operators Consortium, which represents
were not “just and reasonable.” It says the smaller internet providers.
final rates are 15 to 43 per cent lower than

Cell C Scraps Wholesale FWA LTE Access

South African mobile operator Cell C is October, while 20GB and 50GB packages These conversations did not yield the
poised to discontinue its wholesale fixed- will cease working on 31 December. The desired outcome of keeping our customers
wireless LTE service, Tech Central reports, Internet Solutions letter explains: ‘This connected via Cell C’s fixed LTE.’
citing correspondence between Internet is a result of Cell C’s numerous business
Solutions and its channel partners. The challenges, including their inability to
site says that Cell C will continue to offer sustainably support the demand that fixed
fixed-wireless LTE packages to its own LTE has placed on its network … Through
customers, while other affected wholesaler extensive negotiations, we have made
providers are thought to include Afrihost every effort to find a suitable alternative
and Vox. All 100GB and 200GB packages for our customers and Cell C to ensure
will be terminated at midnight on 31 there is no interruption in connectivity.

Iceland’s PTA Consults on New Termination Rates for 2020

Telecoms watchdog the Post and Telecom calendar year. The regulator proposes (in effect until 31 December 2019). For
Administration (Post-og Fjarskiptastofnun, that from 1 January 2020 the mobile fixed termination, the rate will remain at
PTA) has opened a public consultation termination rate (MTR) in the country its current level (ISK0.12). The PTA has
on its draft decision outlining the mobile should increase to ISK1.02 (USD0.00823) invited comments on its draft decision
and fixed termination rates for the 2020 per minute, up from ISK0.96 per minute until 30 August.

79 AUGUST 2019