Page 72 - SAMENA Trends - December 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Govt Greenlights Framework for License-Free Wi-Fi

India’s Cabinet has approved the their local communities. PDOs are not for Development of Telematics (C-DoT).
Department of Telecommunications’ required to hold a license or to register In a statement from the DoT the ministry
(DOT’s) proposed regulatory structure the business with regulatory authorities, noted that approach is intended to be
for the provision of broadband services and will not need to pay fees to the DoT. business friendly, with the removal of
through public Wi-Fi networks. The Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs), licensing requirements in particular
program, dubbed the Prime Minister’s meanwhile, will aggregate PDOs and aligning with the government’s policy
Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM- provide services relating to accounting goals of improving ease of doing business.
WANI), aims to accelerate the take-up and authorization for PDOS. PDOAs are The DoT went on to elaborate on the PM-
of broadband services nationwide by similarly exempt from holding a license WANI’s goals: ‘COVID-19 pandemic has
enabling the use of public Wi-Fi networks but are required to register, albeit with necessitated delivery of stable and high
to deliver fast and stable connectivity, with no registration fee. Finally, the PM-WANI speed broadband internet services to an
deployment encouraged by exempting scheme requires application providers increasingly large number of subscribers
providers from licensing fees. Under the to develop applications to register users, in the country including areas which do
PM-WANI framework, Public Data Offices help customers find PM-WANI hotspots not have 4G mobile coverage. This can
(PDOs) will establish Wi-Fi hotspots and to authenticate subscribers. As with be achieved by deployment of Public Wi-
to provide last-mile connectivity to PDOAs, these app providers will just be Fi. Further, the proliferation of public Wi-Fi
subscribers by procuring bandwidth from required to register and are not subject will not only create employment but also
ISPs. In practice, the government expects to license fees. The initial registry of enhance disposable incomes in the hands
PDOs to take the form of local shops PDOAs and application providers will be of small and medium entrepreneurs and
and small businesses that will serve established and managed by the Centre boost the GDP of the country.’

Singapore Issues Digital Licenses to Open Up Banking

Singapore’s central bank issued only two Management, which “were assessed to be the industry’s bar in delivering quality
of three possible wholesale digital banking demonstrably stronger across the criteria”. financial services, particularly for currently
permits but awarded full licenses to a MAS noted since digital wholesale banks underserved businesses and individuals.
partnership between booking company were introduced as a pilot, it will review They will further strengthen Singapore’s
Grab and Singtel, along with internet whether to grant additional licenses in financial sector for the digital economy
platform Sea. In a statement, the Monetary the future. It had planned to issue up to of the future.” The monetary authority
Authority of Singapore (MAS) said digital three wholesale permits. The central bank had hoped to issue the licenses in June,
wholesale banking licenses went to an received a total of 14 eligible applications but delayed to allow companies and
affiliate of Ant Group and a consortium and expects the new digital banks to start authorities to focus on tackling the impact
comprising Greenland Financial Holdings operations in early 2022. MAS MD Ravi of Covid-19 (coronavirus).
Group, Linklogis Hong Kong and Beijing Menon said: “We expect them to thrive
Cooperative Equity Investment Fund alongside the incumbent banks and raise

Zimbabwe Plans to Invest in ICT Improvements in 2021

Zimbabwe is to allocate a significant sum rollout of optic fiber and digital television support an inclusive digital economy”.
of money to infrastructure improvement services as well as access to online public Ncube said priorities will include the
in the ICT sector over the coming year. services by citizens. Even though progress implementation of measures that create
According to the website Biztechafrica, the has been made for the past decade to an enabling environment for private sector
country’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube improve the country’s ICT infrastructure, investment and full implementation of ICT
recently announced that the government its digital economy is still lagging behind, infrastructure sharing, as well as a full
has allocated $89 million to the ICT mainly because of poor connectivity, roll out of an e-government program. The
sector and was making infrastructure Ncube said. Thus, the government aims proposed ICT investment will be greeted
improvement a top priority. He was to facilitate deployment of broadband warmly by end users and businesses but,
speaking during a 2021 national budget infrastructure and investments in last-mile given the country’s economic woes and
presentation in Harare late last week. The connectivity by industry players that will, associated planning issues, a detailed
money, which will be invested in the sector as he put it, “ensure affordable, accessible, plan and timetable will no doubt also be
during 2021, will, he said, mainly target ubiquitous and reliable ICT services that welcome.

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