Page 58 - SAMENA Trends - Gitex Special 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Ofcom Says Full Fiber Broadband Now Available to More Than Half of British

Homes

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has from a previously reported figure of 48% at gards to slower speeds, Ofcom said that
claimed that full fiber connectivity is now January 2023. Meanwhile, Ofcom reported superfast broadband – defined as offering
available to more than half of the coun- that gigabit-capable broadband services downlink rates of at least 30Mbps – was
try’s homes. In publishing its ‘Connected were available to more than 22.4 million available to 97% of UK homes, a figure un-
Nations – Summer Update 2023’ report, homes, or 75% of the country total, as of changed since May 2022, for which date
the watchdog said that 52% of UK homes May 2023, up from 21.9 million and 73%, coverage of 96% was reported. Ofcom
had access to full fiber as of May 2023, up respectively, at the start of 2023. With re- said that the lack of progress may be due
to the ‘additional difficulty in reaching the
final 3% of properties’ but suggested that
more recent publicly funded schemes may
improve this situation. Meanwhile, Ofcom
said the number of properties (both resi-
dential and commercial) that could not
receive a ‘decent’ broadband service (i.e.,
one offering download speeds of at least
10Mbps) from a fixed line totaled 428,000
(1.3%) as of May 2023, down marginally
from 433,000 four months earlier. For the
mobile sector, Ofcom notably reported that
with regards to 5G, between 76% and 85%
of premises (outdoor) were covered by at
least one operator as of May 2023, up from
between 54% and 69% a year earlier. The
number of premises covered by all of the
nation’s operators remained low, however,
standing at between 12% and 22% as of
May 2023 (May-22: 5%-13%).

FCC Approves Return of Unused 700MHz Choice license to IT&E; Telco Must

Launch 4G by Nov-23, 5G by Nov-24

The Federal Communications Commission remoteness, and corresponding lack of GDP declines, population declines, and its
(FCC) has approved the return of an unused infrastructure in the CNMI create unique median household income is less than half
700MHz license – vacated by Choice difficulties for the construction of the of the US average. In addition, the lack of
Phone (iConnect) in 2019 – to IT&E, which communications network. This group of skilled workers in the CNMI to implement
acquired iConnect in October 2020. The islands is extremely remote –roughly base station upgrades and new site
700MHz Lower Band B-block license 3,200 miles from Hawaii, which itself is construction further complicates network
covering the Commonwealth of the 2,397 miles from the contiguous United construction. Taken together, these unique
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) was States. This remoteness makes all aspects factors support grant of a waiver here.’ In
originally granted to Choice Phone in June of infrastructure development more granting the waiver, the FCC has stipulated
2008, but terminated in February 2019 due difficult. All radiofrequency equipment that IT&E must offer 4G connectivity using
to the company’s failure to fulfil FCC rollout must be imported into the CNMI. Even the 700MHz B-block license to 70% of the
requirements. As per Wireless before the pandemic, these equipment license area by 13 November 2023.
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) deliveries took roughly four weeks. Now, Looking ahead, IT&E must provide 5G
paperwork, IT&E submitted a request to equipment deliveries can take four-six services to 10% of the CNMI’s population
have the license reinstated in June 2023, months. The declining economic by 13 November 2024 – with this figure
as it seeks to boost its existing 4G coverage environment in the CNMI also presents rising to 30% population coverage by 13
and deploy 5G technology. The FCC challenges for infrastructure investment. May 2025.
assessed: ‘The geography, extreme The CNMI has experienced year-to-year

58 GITEX SPECIAL 2023