Page 82 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

PTA Tests Operators’

Performance

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) carried out an independent Quality of
Service (QoS) survey to measure the per-
formance and quality of Cellular Mobile Op-
erators’ (CMOs) services being provided to
their customers, a statement said recently.
The authority surveyed in 18 cities and 9
motorways/highways/inter city roads of
Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and
Balochistan. During the survey, the licensed
KPIs of voice, network coverage, SMS, and
mobile broadband/data were checked us-
ing automated QoS monitoring and bench-
marking tool. The drive test teams selected
survey routes in a manner to cover main
roads, service roads, and majority of sec-
tors/colonies in surveyed areas.

ARTA Ruling Good News for NOW Telecom

NOW Corp-backed NOW Telecom, which frequencies to NOW Telecom allowing it to Government Service Delivery Act of 2018),
secured an extension to its provisional operate via its Cellular Mobile Telephone the said application or request for assign-
authority (PA) in September 2020 to in- Systems (CMTS) concession. In an order ment of concomitant frequencies for the
stall, operate, and maintain a nationwide dated 1 March 1, ARTA issued an order of exercise of NOW Telecom’s CMTS PA as
mobile telecommunications system, has automatic approval for the assignment by attested to in NOW Telecom’s affidavit of
reportedly received a ‘favorable’ deci- the NTC of certain frequencies which NOW completeness is hereby declared com-
sion from the Anti-Red Tape Authority needs as a CMTS licensee. In its order, the plete, and is now deemed automatically
(ARTA) for its service. The Manila Stan- anti-red tape body said the NTC failed to approved by operation of law.’ Comment-
dard writes that on 3 February ARTA re- approve or disapprove NOW Telecom’s ap- ing on the latest development, NOW Tele-
affirmed its earlier ruling upholding NOW plication for ‘assignment of concomitant com’s president, Rene Rosales, said: ‘With
Telecom’s allocation of 220MHz of radio frequencies for the exercise of its CMTS the recent ARTA ruling, NOW Telecom will
frequencies (1970MHz-1980MHz paired provisional authority since January 2006 be able to continue pursuing its mobile
with 2160MHz to 2170MHz, and 3.6GHz to despite submission of all required doc- broadband services aspirations that have
3.8GHz), including 5G-suitable spectrum uments and payment of all required fees been hampered for more than 16 years
for mobile and fixed wireless services. and charges, and the issuance of the said due to the lack of sufficient frequencies to
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database provisional authority and the extension operate. NOW Telecom has been a holder
writes that in March 2021 ARTA ordered thereof.’ Further it contended that: ‘Un- of a CMTS Provisional Authority alongside
the National Telecommunications Com- der Section 10 of Republic Act No. 11302 Smart Telecommunications and Globe
mission (NTC) to assign the necessary (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Telecom prior to the third telco bidding.’

JCRA Restarts 5G Spectrum Award Process

Following communications with the Gov- regulator had put on hold a consultation ture’. Now, the JCRA has said it intends
ernment of Jersey, the Jersey Competition relating to the allocation of 5G frequen- to re-engage stakeholders through public
and Regulatory Authority (JCRA) has an- cies, doing so ‘in the context of the con- consultation and discussions, with further
nounced it is now in a position to restart its tinuing economic and social situation and details and an updated timetable for the
5G spectrum award process ‘with imme- concerns expressed by the Government of allocation of 5G spectrum expected to be
diate effect’. Previously, in May 2020 the Jersey regarding security of 5G infrastruc- published in March 2022.

82 FEBRUARY 2022