Page 94 - SAMENA Trends - December 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

continued protections for customers with only a its provisional view is that they would offer ‘sufficient’
fixed voice service. Prices for such customers have protection for voice-only subscribers, and as such has
been protected since 1 April 2018 through voluntary proposed to accept them. It is inviting comments on
commitments from fixed line incumbent BT, which the the matter from interested parties by 21 January 2021,
regulator accepted in 2017. As well as an initial price and has said it expects to issue a decision in March,
cut of GBP7 (USD9) to line rental, BT also capped ahead of the expiry of the existing commitments.
overall increases to line rental and call charges at (December 11, 2020) commsupdate.com
the rate of inflation (CPI) for a period of three years.
With these voluntary commitments set to expire on 31 The telecom regulator OFCOM has launched a
March 2021, however, OFCOM has now said it believes consultation on its spectrum management strategy for
that price protection for voice-only customers ‘remains the 2020s, proposing action in three main areas which
necessary to address [its] previous concerns from [its] it believes will ‘build on [its] existing approach of relying
last review in 2017, which included lack of competition on market mechanisms where possibly and using
in the market and poor value for money for this group regulatory levers where necessary’. In the first area,
of customers. In line with this, BT has again made OFCOM has said aims to support wireless innovation
voluntary commitments, including the continuation of by making it easier to access spectrum, while secondly
an inflation-linked control (CPI+0%) on the basket of line it has said it aims to ensure the licensing regime fits
rental and call charges for voice-only products, as well local and national services. With regards to the latter
as a commitment to an annual CPI+0% limit on prices area, the regulator has suggested that it will consider
for its Home Phone Saver product and a safeguard cap further options for localized spectrum access when
of CPI+2.5% for its line rental product. Meanwhile, with authorizing new access to frequencies. Finally, OFCOM
BT also having said the latest commitments would has signaled its intent to promote spectrum sharing,
last for five years, it added that the measures will saying in this area it will encourage: use of better data
apply to all voice-only products and services taken by and more sophisticated analysis when assessing the
customers, regardless of the technology used to deliver conditions for sharing; wireless systems to be more
the service, as well as any new products or services resilient to interference from their neighbors; and an
introduced throughout the five-year commitment efficient balance between the level of interference
period that are offered on a voice-only basis. Further, protection given to one service and flexibility for
BT has said it will provide information to OFCOM on its others to transmit. Interested parties have been given
compliance with the commitments on an annual basis. until 26 February 2021 to make submissions to the
Having considered these commitments, OFCOM said consultation. (December 8, 2020) commsupdate.com

Several mid-Michigan communities will get a total of of the digital divide," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated in
$5.6 million to fund high-speed broadband internet a press release. "We structured this innovative auction
service to more than 4,300 rural homes and businesses to prioritize bids for high-speed, low-latency services
over the next 10 years. The money comes from the to deliver the best results for rural American, and the
United Federal Communication Commission's Rural Digital results show that this strategy worked." Gladwin
County will receive more than $1.3 million to serve
Opportunity Fund Phase 1 auction. Locally, nearly half
States of that funding will go to Clare County, which will receive 499 residences and businesses, with Point Broadband
more than $2.6 million to provide service to 1,941 Fiber Holding again getting most of that. Other mid-
customers. Companies with the winning bids were Michigan communities getting funding are: Midland
Point Broadband Fiber Holding, Mercury Wireless and County, $1 million to serve 1,345 customers; Clinton
Charter Communications. Point Broadband will get the County, $462,000 to serve 482 customers; Montcalm
majority of the money - nearly $2.5 million - to provide County, $14,432 to serve 39 customers; Isabella
service to 1,476 homes and businesses in the county. In County, $51,800 to serve 87 customers; and Mecosta
Michigan, the auction allocated $362 million in support County, $3,308 to serve 10 customers. Gratiot County
of expanding broadband to 249,263 unserved homes did not have any bidders participate in the FCC auction.
and businesses. Nearly all locations in the state that (December 27, 2020) themorningsun.com
were eligible for the auction will be receiving access
to broadband with speeds of at least 100/20 megabits US lawmakers are expected to include USD1.9 billion
per second, with 80 percent of those getting gigabit- funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s
speed service. "This historic auction is great news for (FFC’s) ‘rip and replace’ scheme as part of USD900
the residents of so many rural Michigan communities, billion COVID-19 relief bill, Reuters reports, citing two
who will get access to high-quality broadband service sources briefed on the matter. The scheme, approved
in areas that for too long have been on the wrong side by the FCC earlier this month, requires operators to

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