Page 132 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Angola’s new mobile market entrant Africell mobile data services and affordable smartphones,
has formalized a contract with the government adding: ‘Angola is one of the most attractive investment
to become the country’s fourth ‘Unified Global’ destinations in sub-Saharan Africa and an African
telecommunications operator and launch services leader, so we see this as the next logical step for Africell
Angola later this year, it announced in a statement reported as we continue to expand our network and deepen our
by news outlets including Jornal de Angola. footprint across the continent.’ Africell was officially
After signing the agreement with the Ministry of selected as Angola’s fourth Unified Global operating
Telecommunications, Information Technology & Social licensee on 6 July 2020, confirming a decision first
Communication (Ministerio das Telecomunicacoes, announced in May that year, and its new license
Tecnologias de Informacao e Comunicacao Social, permits infrastructure-based mobile, internet, fixed
MINTTICS), the Ministry of Finance and the Angolan line and pay-TV services. Angola’s mobile market is
Institute of Communications (Instituto Angolano das currently a duopoly of Unitel and Movicel, while state-
Comunicacoes, INACOM), Africell declared it would backed fixed line operator Angola Telecom holds the
invest ‘several hundred million dollars’ in infrastructure third Unified Global license and is planning to share
and services during the first phase of the project, infrastructure with Africell, having scrapped a proposed
estimating that it will create 6,500 jobs in the next five mobile partnership with Egyptian-backed Angorascom,
years. Founder and chairman of the Africell group, Ziad TeleGeography notes. The Lebanese-backed, UK-
Dalloul, expressed a commitment to ‘transform the headquartered Africell group operates mobile networks
Angolan telecommunications market through lower in Gambia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo
prices and accessibility’ with a focus on high speed and Uganda. (February 4, 2021) commsupdate.com

The National Communications Agency (Ente Nacional 28GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies for 5G
de Comunicaciones, ENACOM) has confirmed that it trials. While neighboring Chile became the first Latin
will stage a week-long 5G trial at its headquarters in American nation to successfully auction 5G-suitable
Buenos Aires this month. The tests will run from 15 frequencies – staging a multi-band spectrum sale last
Argentina March to 19 March and explore how fifth-generation month – Argentina has yet to confirm which bands it
technology will benefit the country’s industrial, intends to auction for 5G. Brazil, meanwhile, intends
educational and entertainment sectors. While the to run its own 5G auction before the end of June this
spectrum intended for use has not been divulged, year. As in Chile, Brazil will distribute spectrum in the
TeleGeography notes that the watchdog has previously 700MHz, 3.5GHz and 26GHz bands for 5G use.
sanctioned both Movistar and Personal to utilize (March 4, 2021) commsupdate.com

Australian Communications Minister Paul Fletcher Australia, Queensland and SA; these will include both
has announced that Optus, Pivotel and Telstra have fixed and mobile voice calls, with the operator also
each been awarded grants under the final tranche offering optional broadband data access with backhaul
of the government’s AUD2 million (USD1.6 million) provided through its satellite network. Rounding out
Australia Alternative Voice Services Trials (AVST) program. the trio, Pivotel will offer up to 60 trial services at 30
In a press release regarding the development, it locations in regional and remote areas of Australia,
was noted that this latest round of tests will include with those participating expected to ‘be able to use
Telstra offering up to 300 ‘trial services’ in a range of the full functionality of mobile handsets to make and
‘diverse locations’ across the country; the majority of receive VoIP calls when at home or out and about’.
the services offered by the operator will reportedly be Commenting, Mr. Fletcher said: ‘While Optus, Pivotel
‘fixed’ voice services delivered using its 4G network, and Telstra are already providing voice services across
although Telstra will also trial a small number of voice Australia, the grants will enable interested consumers
services delivered over satellite. For its part, Optus to try out new types of services without additional
will offer 15 trial services at predetermined regional cost.’
locations in New South Wales, Queensland and South (February 17, 2021) commsupdate.com

132 FEB-MAR 2021