Page 99 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) 2023. Meanwhile, 90MHz licenses in the 2.3GHz range
has published its spectrum release plan for 2022-24. are set to expire in 2027 and the plan again sets an
The schedule includes the reassignment of 20MHz of earliest award date as next year. Finally, 4GHz of new
frequencies in the 800MHz and 900MHz bands, where spectrum in the 39.5GHz-43.5GHz range is expected to
Hong Kong current licenses are due to expire in 2026; the earliest be allocated in 2023 or 2024.
award date for new concessions has been set as
(February 24, 2022) commsupdate.com

The National Media & Infocommunications Authority purchases under the program’s budget of HUF5 billion.
(Nemzeti Media- es Hirkozlesi Hatosag, NMHH) The offer runs until 17 July 2022, or until the fund is
announced the availability of subsidies to assist exhausted. Although 3G devices are the main focus
consumers in exchanging their 3G mobile phones for of the program, the NMHH confirmed that if any funds
Hungary 4G/5G devices ahead of the expected shutdown of 3G remain by 9 May 2022, from that date it will also be
possible to claim the individual subsidy to replace a
networks in the first half of 2023. An individual subsidy
of HUF20,000 (USD63.4) can be claimed at one of 700 2G-only mobile phone with a 4G/5G model.
participating retail outlets, covering 250,000 device (February 15, 2022) commsupdate.com

The telecoms watchdog the Electronic Communications December 2021) with a stipulation that a long-term
Office of Iceland (ECOI) has opened a public allocation will be provided if the assigned frequencies
consultation on its plan to renew Vodafone Iceland’s are used in accordance with the ECOI’s criteria for
(Syn’s) concession in the 3600MHz band until 31 efficient utilization. At end-2021, however, ECOI
Iceland March 2023. The ICOI received an application and a highlighted that it faced uncertainty regarding the
development of electronic communications legislation
timed development plan from Syn for the renewal of
the spectrum, with Syn committing to build 5G network and the implementation of certain national security
in ten rural areas of the country (nine of which currently measures by the government to ensure the secure
have no 5G access), deploy 40 5G transmitters and supply chain of mobile network equipment, and
provide 5G to over 20% of the population. Interested that the long-term allocation of the spectrum had
parties are given until 24 February 2022 to comment been postponed. Instead, the regulator extended the
on the plan. TeleGeography notes that the spectrum concessions of Siminn and Nova for a short period
was initially awarded in May 2020 (effective until 31 (until 31 March 2023). (February 17, 2022) commsupdate.com

The Indian government has cancelled an INR190 billion India’s Finance Minister has confirmed that the auction
(USD2.5 billion) tender for extending fiber connectivity of 5G spectrum will take place in 2022, with the rollout
to villages across 16 states due to a lack of eligible of 5G services to be carried out in the 2022-23 financial
bidders. The BharatNet program was greenlit in June year. the Minister made the announcement as part of
India last year and would have utilized a public-private her Union Budget 2022-23 speech, which also included
plans for a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme
partnership model for the rollout, which was expected
to cost around INR294 billion in total. The project had for local manufacturing of 5G equipment. In addition,
been split into nine tenders, and whilst the government the Minister unveiled plans to award contracts for
had received applications from some firms, the deploying fiber in all villages via a Public Private
participants had failed to qualify. An unnamed official Partnership (PPP) model in 2022-23, with the works
source told the paper that the government would refloat expected to be completed by 2025. The government
the tender after taking feedback from the industry. also plans to use 5% of Universal Service Obligation
(February 28, 2022) The Economic Times Fund (USOF) contributions to finance research and
development and commercialization of solutions for
the provision of affordable broadband services in rural
and remote areas. (February 1, 2022) The Economic Times

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