Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

access to broadband by giving the FCC the authority download and 20Mbps upload “low-latency internet”
to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum across 642,925 locations in 35 states, funded by the
to companies that offer 5G coverage.’ Controversially, RDOF. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel justified
in March the US Senate allowed the FCC’s spectrum the rejection, stating that the applicant failed to meet
auction authority to lapse for the first time since 1994. the burden required for nearly $900 million in universal
A bill that would have extended the regulator’s spectrum service funds—emphasizing the FCC’s commitment to
authority to 19 May was passed by the lower house ensuring reliable and affordable high-speed broadband
but objections in the Senate delayed the legislation, for consumers nationwide. “The FCC is tasked with
resulting in the lapse. To date, the FCC has held more ensuring consumers everywhere have access to high-
than 100 auctions and has raised more than USD233 speed broadband that is reliable and affordable. The
billion in revenues. Auction 108 drew to a close on 29 agency also has a responsibility to be a good steward
August 2022 after 73 rounds of bidding. Participating of limited public funds meant to expand access to rural
companies successfully bid on 7,872 2.5GHz licenses, broadband, not fund applicants that fail to meet basic
generating gross proceeds of USD427.790 million. program requirements,” said Rosenworcel. “The FCC
T-Mobile US secured the bulk of the available licenses, followed a careful legal, technical, and policy review
bidding USD304.325 million for 7,156 regional to determine that this applicant had failed to meet its
concessions. (December 13, 2023) www.commsupdate.com burden to be entitled to nearly $900 million in universal
service funds for almost a decade.” However, FCC
The FCC has denied Elon Musk’s Starlink a hefty commissioner Brendan Carr dissented, arguing that
$886 million subsidy from the Universal Service Fund, the FCC has never previously demanded award winners
allocated for expanding broadband services in rural to demonstrate meeting service obligations years in
areas. The rejected bid, originally intended for the advance. Christopher Cardaci, head of legal at SpaceX,
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, faced defended Starlink’s bid in a letter to the FCC, asserting
criticism as the FCC deemed Starlink incapable of that Starlink remains the most viable option for
proving its ability to deliver the promised broadband connecting Americans in rural and remote areas “where
service. This decision echoes a similar move by the high-speed, low-latency internet has been unreliable,
FCC last year, prompting an appeal from SpaceX, unaffordable, or completely unavailable, the very people
Musk’s aerospace company behind Starlink. SpaceX RDOF was supposed to connect.”
had previously secured a bid to deploy a 100Mbps (December 13, 2023) www.telecomstechnews.com

The Zambian government is planning to phase out to Beeline Telecom Zambia (Zedmobile) – which was
2G mobile technology in the near future. Speaking at issued a mobile license in February 2021, but has yet
an awards ceremony to celebrate the ICT, postal and to stage a commercial launch – Mutati commented:
courier sectors, Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and ‘I remain hopeful that Beeline, which is a Zambian
Zambia Science, commented: ‘We are eliminating 2G because majority-owned company, will take advantage of
several efforts by government to establish an enabling
we want all towers to be internet-enabled. Every tower
from now on will only be 4G and upwards internet- environment for them to commence operations within a
enabled. We have a duty to use ICT as an enabler to reasonable timeline, as committed.’
deliver change to the people of Zambia.’ With reference (December 12, 2023) The Zambia Monitor

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