Page 140 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) has Proposal for its available 700MHz license has garnered
confirmed that it has extended the bidding deadline ‘global interest’. The concession will comprise a
for its available 700MHz license, from 9 March to 23 2×10MHz block of 700MHz spectrum and be valid
March. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the for 15 years. The most recent amendment published
Jamaica concession will comprise a 2×10MHz block of 700MHz by the watchdog confirms that the sale will use a
spectrum and be valid for 15 years, while interested ‘Two-Envelope System’, whereby interested bidders
bidders must submit a ‘technical proposal’ and a must submit a ‘technical proposal’ and a ‘financial
‘financial proposal’ for the license, with the latter fee proposal’ for the license, with the latter fee committed
committed in US dollars. (March 16, 2021) commsupdate.com in US dollars. The paperwork says that bids must be
submitted by 9 March 2021 at 1pm local time, and will
Dr. Maria Myers-Hamilton, the Managing Director of be opened at 2.30pm the same day. If two bidders are
Jamaica’s Spectrum Management Authority (SMA), tied, the winner will be decided by a coin toss.
has informed the Jamaica Gleaner that the Request for (March 2, 2021) commsupdate.com

The State Communications Agency (SCA) announced KGS38.95 million). MegaCom’s bids totaled KGS5.56
on that state-backed mobile operator MegaCom has million above the two licenses combined starting
won two spectrum licenses in the 2300MHz-2400MHz price, although the SCA indicated that MegaCom was
TDD range at auction with total bids of KGS116.87 the sole participant in the auction. The SCA disclosed
Kyrgyzstan million (USD1.38 million). The licenses exclude the that a third license up for auction – 40MHz (2340MHz-
capital Bishkek and second city Osh but include
2380MHz) covering Batken, Talas and Naryn regions,
the rest of the Republic’s territory, with bandwidth with a starting price of KGS17.72 million – went unsold
of 40MHz (2300MHz-2340MHz, costing KGS77.92 due to the absence of bidders.
million) and 20MHz (2380MHz-2400MHz, costing (March 18, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania of MEZON’s frequencies, saying the move would give
(SACL) has ruled that a Vilnius court must re-evaluate Bite a competitive advantage in the market. Telia’s
whether to accept Telia Lietuva’s complaint against the challenge was rejected by the Vilnius court and the
decision of the Communications Regulatory Authority EUR20 million (USD23.9 million) sale of MEZON was
Lithuania (RRT) to allow Bite to acquire the spectrum of MEZON. completed in December. However, the SACL has now
In November last year the RRT approved the sale of
ruled that the court of first instance must reconsider
broadband operator MEZON to mobile operator Bite, the issue of admissibility of Telia’s complaint.
but Telia filed a complaint in court against the transfer (February 5, 2021) commsupdate.com

Following a public consultation launched in October Bettel has therefore decided to postpone plans to
2020, Luxembourg’s Department for Media, Telecoms grant user rights until a later date. The 5G Strategy
and Digital Policy (SMC) has announced it will not be for Luxembourg published in 2018 provides that the
allocating user rights in the 5G 26GHz band (24.5GHz- 26GHz mmWave band will be allocated according to
Luxembourg 27.5GHz) for the time being. Feedback from the the roadmap established at the European level. User
country’s operators revealed that although they would
rights in the 700MHz and 3.6GHz bands were granted
potentially be interested in using the spectrum for 5G in August 2020 following an auction.
wireless services in the medium term, they currently (March 3, 2021) commsupdate.com
have no immediate need. Telecoms minister Xavier

Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM) in-building signals. A report from Macau Business
says it expects to have achieved full indoor 5G coverage cites CTM’s Vice President of Network Services, Declan
by June this year, with most buildings covered by end- Leong, as saying: ‘For Non-Standalone (NSA)5G, we
March. Negotiations are continuing with owners of have already completed the network last year. We
Macau public indoor spaces such as shopping malls to enable have also provided full outdoor coverage [since] last
year. In the second half of 2020, we started to build
operators to deploy small cell technology to enhance

140 FEB-MAR 2021