Page 122 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Cook Islands’ New Regulator to Kick off Liberalization Process Next Month

The Cook Islands government has Authority. Vodafone Cook Islands we will be in full compliance. Deputy
appointed a chairperson, Bernard Hill, to the CEO Phillip Henderson welcomed the Prime Minister Mark Brown said: ‘I am
new Competition & Regulatory Authority, development as an important milestone pleased to announce the appointment of
which will start the process of inviting a under the new Telecommunications Act, Mr. Hill to this very important role as the
potential rival to monopoly telco Vodafone saying: ‘As a licensed operator Vodafone first Cook Islands’ telecommunications
Cook Islands next month. As reported by looks forward to working with Mr. Hill to regulator. The Authority and its Chair are
Cook Islands News, Mr. Hill is currently deliver on the outcomes of the new Act. critical to ensuring a successful transition
Telecommunications Commissioner for We are anticipating that the Authority from the current monopoly situation to
the Solomon Islands and has also been will release regulations over the coming an efficient, effective and competitive
Head of Competition Affairs at Hong months associated with the telecoms telecommunications market for the benefit
Kong’s Office of the Communications sector and Vodafone will ensure that of the industry and consumers.’

BTRC to Extend Telcos’ Service Quality Test to Villages

The Bangladesh Telecommunication the QoS test drive because considering benchmark of 7 MBps download speed.
Regulatory Commission has decided the degree of the job. Earlier we usually did All the four mobile phone operators were
to extend its quality of service (QoS) QoS test drives in metropolitan cities and found providing 4G internet service below
measurement test for mobile phone in rather small scale,” a BTRC official told the BTRC benchmark. In Dhaka, as per
network coverage and capacity to upazila Dhaka Tribune. He said now as the scale BTRC finding, GP and Robi maintained the
and village level. The telecom regulator of the work was big, only a few of BTRC benchmark while Banglalink was providing
on February 19 issued an expression of officials would not be able to complete service at 6.49 MBps and Teletalk at 4.85
interest (EoI) for the interested parties the task within the stipulated time. “After MBps. In Barisal, all the four operators
to conduct the test drive in designated getting the proposals, we will send those failed to maintain the 4G internet speed as
highways, district, upazila, union and to evaluation committee for short listing,” per the BTRC benchmark. In a QoS test the
village roads and at selected spots. The he said. Last year, the telecom regulator BTRC checks call drop rates, connection
firm awarded the job will be conducting conducted test drive in Dhaka and Barisal times, uplink and downlink speeds of
drive tests for measuring and assessing divisions to assess the quality of 4G internet in the field level network towers.
the coverage, capacity and quality of service by mobile operators as per BTRC
service of cellular mobile networks
throughout the country. The interested
firms or joint venture companies were
asked to respond to the EoI by March 15.
The tentative timeline of the test drive to
measure QoS will be from May to October.
The firm/lead firm must have minimum
two years’ experience of measuring QoS
of mobile operators through drive test,
according to the eligibility criteria of the
BTRC. It also said the selected firm would
provide competent personnel, vehicle, fuel
and other logistic support for the test drive.
“This is the first time we are outsourcing

Uganda Seeks USD150M Loan for ICT Projects

The government of Uganda is looking to Daily Monitor as saying that the money will districts and lower local government’.
borrow USD150 million from Exim Bank be used to ‘develop the national backbone Funding will also be used to provide
of China to help fund ICT projects. ICT infrastructure to begin implementing ICT computers and connectivity for secondary
Minister Peter Ogwang is cited by The investments in schools, referral hospitals, schools.

122 FEBRUARY 2020