Page 102 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications 99 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. The regulator
Commission (NBTC) determined True Corp met the added a number of conditions aimed at protecting
two major conditions set before its tie-up with dtac in consumers to the controversial deal, which created
March, with the operator lowered tariffs and improved the largest mobile operator in the country with 51.4
Thailand coverage. NBTC found in random checks True reduced million subscribers. Previous market leader AIS ended
prices by an average of 12 per cent and maintained the
September with 44.4 million. True faces a lawsuit filed
same number of base stations it operated before the by a consumer group, after the country’s highest court
merger, with signal quality unchanged. Last month True ordered a lower bench to accept the case against the
said it aims to decommission 1,800 sites where there regulator for allowing the merger to proceed.
is duplication of coverage by year-end. The operator (December 20, 2023) Bangkok Post
claimed both 4G and 5G coverage improved to above

A record-breaking 17 million UK homes now have may also be a lack of awareness of the speeds
access to full-fiber broadband, according to Ofcom’s available in different areas. “Full-fiber coverage of 57
latest Connected Nations report. Analysis indicates percent means we are lagging behind other European
that providers experience fewer faults on their fiber countries such as Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Norway,
United networks, contributing to a smoother online experience and France. Further progress is needed to support the
for users engaged in activities like gaming, working,
nation’s current and future digital demands.” Ofcom’s
Kingdom and video calling. Notably, full-fiber broadband is now report also notes a significant reduction in the number
available to over half of homes in all four UK nations. of homes and businesses lacking access to ‘decent’
Northern Ireland leads the pack, with 91 percent of broadband, dropping by 27 percent to 61,000 premises.
homes capable of accessing full fiber. The adoption Approximately 11,000 of these are expected to be
of full-fiber broadband is not uniform across regions. connected through publicly funded schemes next year,
Rural areas are outpacing their urban counterparts, with demonstrating ongoing progress in connecting the
a nearly double take-up rate (49% compared to 25%). nation. “While the reduction in premises without access
This surge in availability bodes well for millions of to decent broadband has fallen, 61,000 homes without
people and businesses, ensuring faster, more reliable, access to even the most basic speeds is still too many.
and future-proof internet connectivity. “The rapid rise The devil is also in the details when it comes to the
in availability of full-fibre broadband is good news for definition of ‘decent’ broadband. Speeds of just 10Mb
people and businesses across the UK, with millions can be frustratingly slow in the modern age of remote
more able to benefit from fast, reliable and future-proof working, HD streaming, and online gaming,” adds Tofts.
internet,” said Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Network and “The Universal Service Obligation should be reviewed to
Communications Group Director. “When the time comes better understand the needs of broadband customers
to take out a new broadband contract, we encourage and push towards closing the digital divide between
people to shop around and find out what options are urban and rural locations. Superfast speeds of at least
available to make sure they are on the best package 30Mb should be considered the new normal.” Satellite
for their needs.” However, some experts highlight broadband is also on the rise, with around 42,000
the need to read between the lines. “The reported 1.7 UK customers now connected to Starlink’s satellite
million new full-fiber consumer connections suggest service. Outside of premises, 5G coverage by at least
growing demand, but take-up rates of 28 percent one operator has surged to over 85 percent—a notable
are still relatively modest. The industry needs to take increase from the previous year’s 67 percent. While 5G
a closer look at why that might be and uncover the traffic has experienced 140 percent growth, 4G remains
reasons behind this slow adoption,” comments Alex dominant, representing over 80 percent of total mobile
Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie. “We traffic and offering coverage outside more than 98
know that some full-fiber packages can be expensive, percent of UK premises.
and in a cost-of-living crisis, this is a big factor. There (December 19, 2023) www.telecomstechnews.com

The House of Representatives passed Senator was allowed to lapse). Previously, the Senate passed
John Kennedy’s 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Kennedy’s legislation this September. Senator Kennedy
Enforcement (SALE) Act on 11 December. The bill commented: ‘I’m thankful that the House has sent this
grants the Federal Communications Commission bill to the president’s desk so that the job providers
United (FCC) a one-time, temporary authority to issue licenses who depend on wireless communications in Louisiana
and across America can continue to support rural
purchased in auctions that were held before 9 March
States 2023 (i.e. when the FCC’s spectrum auction authority economies. My 5G SALE Act provides Americans with

102 DECEMBER 2023