Page 136 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

With Ethiopia reported to have in mind a minimum from the bidding process, we will go ahead … If not,
amount that it aims to raise from the sale of new we will have another look.’ As previously reported by
licenses, which it is offering as part of the opening up of CommsUpdate, a delay to the process of offering the
the country’s telecoms sector, it has been suggested the two new concessions was announced last month,
Estonia sale process could be scrapped if such valuations are with the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA)
not realized. According to Bloomberg, Eyob Tekalign, the confirming it had postponed the bidding deadline to 5
state minister responsible for the country’s privatization April 2021 following requests received from would-be
process, confirmed that three independent teams have bidders. The ECA’s RFP for the award of licenses was
calculated the value of the two new telecoms licenses launched in November 2020, and under a framework
that are being offered, with these valuations said to for the liberalization and development of the Ethiopian
have informed the government’s expectations of what telecoms sector, the ECA plans to award two nationwide
it should raise from the sale. However, the minister was full-service concessions through a competitive bidding
also cited as saying: ‘If we get the value, we expect process. (March 4, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA), for the two new telecom licenses, and no prospective
which earlier this month confirmed it was extending bidder has been shortlisted, prequalified nor excluded
the bidding deadline for the country’s two new from participating in the bid process. The RFP [request
nationwide telecoms licenses, has now moved to reject for proposals] process is ongoing.’ As previously
Ethiopia suggestions that bidders have already been shortlisted. reported by CommsUpdate, earlier this month the
The development comes following comments made by ECA announced it was pushing back the deadline for
Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph to Business Daily Africa, parties interested in the new concessions, confirming
with the executive having claimed his firm was one of an updated deadline of 5 April 2021; it said at the time
six to have been cleared to bid for a concession. In that the postponement was being made following
response though, the ECA has issued a brief statement requests it had received from would-be bidders during
on its social media feed, in which it noted: ‘We wish to the question-and-answer period of the RFP process for
clarify that to date no proposals have been received the concessions. (February 18, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Ministry of Transport and Communications 25.1GHz frequency bands for the provision of ‘minor
(Liikenne-ja viestintaministerio, MoTC) has called for local network service in the mobile communications
comments on draft amendments to the Government network’. Meanwhile, the 1.5GHz frequency band
Decree on Radio Spectrum Usage and Frequency would, sometime in the future, be allocated for dynamic
Finland Allocation Plan (Spectrum Decree). In a press release shared use of wireless broadband and radio equipment
regarding the matter, the ministry noted that the meant for military defence. A deadline of 24 February
consultation process is in part related to amendments 2021 has been set for the submission of comments,
to the Act on Electronic Communication Services. As and the MoTC has said that following the consultation
per the draft amendments to the Spectrum Decree, stage, ‘the preparations will continue by public officials.
the MoTC has said provisions would be laid down (February 4, 2021) commsupdate.com
to allocate the 2300MHz-2320MHz and 24.25GHz-

France’s telecoms regulator, ARCEP, announced that been accepting pre-orders for its service earlier this
it had granted SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband month. In order to access the internet, customers
project a 10-year license to provide internet in France. will be required purchase a Starlink Kit that includes
The license will cover the 10.95–12.70 GHz and a phased-array dish antenna and Wi-Fi router device
France 14–14.5 GHz bands. SpaceX has currently launched to connect wirelessly to the satellite internet. Once
connected, customers will reportedly have access to
around 1,145 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites as part
of its Starlink constellation, with plans to expand this speeds of 50–150 Mbps, with latency between 20ms
figure significantly throughout the year and beyond, and 40ms. In its current form, SpaceX warns that
ultimately reaching around 12,000 devices by the mid- some new customers could experience brief periods
2020s. These LEO satellites are about 60-times closer of no service, but this should improve as deployment
to Earth than traditional satellites, helping them to broadens. “As we launch more satellites, install
overcome traditional issues associated with satellite more ground stations and improve our networking
connectivity, such as high latency. The company had software, data speed, latency and uptime will improve

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