Page 71 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

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WHOLESALE NEWS

South African Regulator Holds Hearing on Mobile Termination Rates

South Africa’s Independent Communications Authority (ICASA)
will hold public hearings to review call termination rules, as the
country’s largest operators dispute over a rule change eight
years ago. The hearings are taking place today (February 7). The
regulator published a discussion document in November 2021
and received seven submissions from operators Cell C, MTN,
Switch Telecom, Telkom, Vodacom, the Internet Service Providers'
Association (ISPA) and telecommunications policy analyst Ewan
Sutherland. ICASA councillor Dr Charley Lewis noted since halving
mobile termination rates in 2014, consumer prices for voices calls
have “tumbled” with the affordability benefitting both businesses
and consumers. “We have gone through all submissions and have
decided to engage further through public hearings. The intention termination rates eight years ago with executives stating the rule
is to interrogate the submissions so that we can have a clearer and benefits players who have not invested in their networks, and
deeper understanding of the views expressed by stakeholders. detrimental to those that have. Mobile termination rates are also
It is important to have a holistic view of all comments, and to an issue in Kenya, where Telkom claims it is forced to pay half of
engage with concrete and specific proposals on the key issues, so its revenues to rival Safaricom, for its customers to end their calls
that we may arrive at informed, evidence-based decisions,” said on its network.
Lewis. Vodacom was vehemently against the cutting of mobile

ComReg Issues Finding of Non-Compliance to eir Related to Wholesale
Local Access Obligations

Irish telecoms watchdog the Commission for Communications determine the telco’s compliance with obligations imposed under
Regulation (ComReg) has notified fixed line incumbent eir that, the ‘WLA Decision Instrument’ published back in November 2018;
as per its findings, the latter has not complied with obligations that decision included price control obligations and transparency
imposed upon it related to the wholesale local access (WLA) obligations for eir. According to ComReg, eir has been given
market. In a press release regarding the matter, ComReg noted until 28 March 2022 to make representations to the watchdog in
that it relates to the charges levied by eir for duct access, with the response to its findings.
regulator having conducted an investigation in which it sought to

ARPT Cuts MTRs, Moves to Reduce Call Pricing

Guinea’s Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications ARPT has also confirmed that a GNF20 per minute levy applied to
(L’Autoritie de Regulation des Postes et Telecommunications, on-net mobile calls following the adoption of Order A/2021/457/
ARPT) has announced that mobile termination rates (MTRs) will MPTEN/CAB/SGG of 29 March 2021 has been abolished.
be halved to GNF100 (USD0.011) per minute with effect from 1 Recognizing the charge had adversely affected consumers
February 2022, as part of a range of measures designed to lower and caused industrial unrest in the sector, the regulator said it
the cost of mobile services. The regulator notes that the cut – the hopes operators will now resume offering bonus call minutes to
first since the interconnection charges were introduced more than customers. Finally, the watchdog has also proposed that telcos
a decade ago – will result in wholesale off-net call charges falling stop charging for calls to their customer service numbers.
by 18.2% for Orange and 20% for MTN and Cellcom. In addition, the

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