Page 115 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

CNMC Fines MASMOVIL’s Xfera Moviles EUR1.5m Over Its Execution of Ahi+

Acquisition

Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition failed to notify the CNMC of its purchase of regional operator
(Comision Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia, CNMC) has Ahimas’ (Ahi+) subsidiary Alma Telecom, it concluded. In a market
fined MASMOVIL subsidiary Xfera Moviles EUR1.5 million (USD1.6 update the watchdog confirmed: ‘The CNMC ex officio required
million) for carrying out the purchase of another telco before notification of the purchase on 29 March 2022 … The CNMC
notifying it correctly. Under local law, companies must notify their considers that Xfera Moviles acted negligently, and points out that
M&A activities to the regulator prior to carrying them out, so that the company could have resorted to prior voluntary mechanisms
the latter can check if they meet certain legal requirements (known if it had doubts about whether the operation should be notified.
as gun jumping, such breaches constitute ‘a serious infringement The CNMC initiated disciplinary action against Xfera Moviles in
according to article 62.3.b of the Competition Law’). Xfera Moviles October 2022.

EC Kicks Off €200M European AI Push

The European Commission (EC) identified smart cities, agriculture, funding. In a statement, the authority noted four schemes would
manufacturing and healthcare as focus areas for a series of AI receive between €40 million and €60 million each over five years,
and robotics projects earmarked for a total of €200 million in covering sectors deemed high impact. The funding comes from
a central EC pot with individual European Union member states
also contributing. It is intended to be used to create world class
testing facilities for AI and robotics, and ultimately increase uptake
of the technologies in Europe. Projects covering agriculture, health,
industry, and cities and communities kicked off at the start of the
year and will provide testing and experimentation facilities for
companies using modern AI systems in real world environments.
The EC noted the quartet were “an important part of building the
AI ecosystem of excellence and trust to support Europe’s strategic
leadership in” the field. Findings will also contribute to related
legislation. Testing facilities are the latest push by authorities to
drive adoption in the region and secure the continent’s position
in the nascent sector, which is also being heavily funded by
companies and authorities in other parts of the world.

Globalive Bids for Xplore Mobile’s Manitoba Spectrum, Continues Telus
Talks

Canada’s Globalive – the former owner of Wind Mobile (now Shaw as a condition of the latter’s pending merger with Rogers
Freedom Mobile, owned by Shaw Communications since 2016) Communications. The proposed arrangement between Telus and
– has announced plans to return to the mobile market via a bid Globalive, initially covering Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta
to acquire spectrum in Manitoba province from defunct operator subject to regulatory approval, seeks to provide improved coverage
Xplore Mobile, which closed in August 2022. As reported by and choice to Canadians. Globalive founder and chairman Anthony
ITBusiness, Globalive’s Manitoban bid is subject to Xplore Mobile’s Lacavera declared: ‘We are building a national independent
acceptance and customary conditions. Globalive indicates that wireless carrier across Canada, and we are acquiring spectrum in
it also remains in discussions with nationwide operator Telus to all markets to realize our long-term vision of a globally competitive
develop and expand an existing conditional spectrum and network telecom market. It’s clear by looking at truly competitive markets
sharing agreement which in its original form would only take effect outside of Canada that these results are only possible by
if Globalive was successful in a bid to repurchase Freedom Mobile introducing a national pure-play wireless carrier with no legacy,
– an outcome which appears unlikely as the market awaits final fixed line business.’
regulatory clearance of Videotron’s bid to acquire Freedom from

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