Page 129 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

China will provide Angola with USD249 million financing and digital transformation. Angolan Minister of Finance
this year to support the implementation of a project Vera Daves noted that further steps are now required
titled National Broadband Network (Rede Nacional de regarding the adoption of specific agreements for
Banda Larga – RNBL). The funding comes in the form of the disbursement of the USD249 million for project
Angola a concessional loan from Export-Import Bank of China, implementation. Daves added that the disbursement of
with arrangements confirmed on 11 January. Chinese the financing is part of the government’s quota for the
diplomat Gong Tao said after signing the contract for development of telecommunications infrastructures
the project’s implementation that China will continue alongside expected significant participation from the
to support Angola in various development projects, Angolan private sector.
with emphasis on the areas of telecommunications (January 13, 2023) Jornal de Angola

Argentina’s multi-band 5G spectrum auction is now Servicio Movil Terrestre (Land Mobile Service) register,
expected to be held in March or April this year, rather in line with the Plan de Gestion Integral del Espectro
than February. The new timeline was reported this week. Radioelectrico (Comprehensive Management Plan for
The spectrum sale is expected to include the following the Radioelectric Spectrum). The decision was rubber-
Argentina frequency bands: 1427MHz-1518MHz (1500MHz stamped in the watchdog’s last meeting of the 2022
band); 1770MHz-1780MHz/2170MHz-2180MHz (AWS- and announced on 27 December. Argentina is aiming
3 band); 2300MHz-2400MHz (2.3GHz band); 3.3GHz- to stage a multi-band 5G spectrum auction in February
3.6GHz (3.5GHz); 24.25GHz-25.75GHz (26GHz band); 2023. Alongside spectrum in the 3.3GHz-3.6GHz
and 37GHz-43.5GHz (38GHz band). As per government band, ENACOM expects to distribute the following
projections, the auction could raise as much as USD1.4 frequency bands: 1427MHz-1518MHz (1500MHz
billion. (January 19, 2023) Tiempo Argentino band); 1770MHz-1780MHz/2170MHz-2200MHz (AWS-
3 band); 2300MHz-2400MHz (2.3GHz band); 24.25GHz-
The National Communications Agency (Ente Nacional 25.75GHz (26GHz band); and 37GHz-43.5GHz (38GHz
de Comunicaciones, ENACOM) has confirmed that it band).
has added spectrum in the 3.3GHz-3.6GHz band to the (January 3, 2023) www.commsupdate.com

Australia’s government has called for feedback on the ation of the National Broadband Network (NBN), and
future of standards regulating fixed voice services. A new market structures and industry players. As such,
discussion paper has been published by the Depart- it said its discussion paper was seeking stakeholder
ment of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Develop- views on the CSG as a whole, and the various regulatory
Australia ment, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) on the instruments that give effect to it, noting these changes
20-year old Customer Service Guarantee (CSG), which: to the sector. Minister for Communications, Michelle
provides performance standards for the connection and Rowland, noted: ‘This discussion paper is an important
repair of fixed voice services and provides for compen- first step towards considering the future role and form
sation to be paid to consumers where standards are not of the CSG, and the views of stakeholders will help in-
met; and complements the Universal Service Obliga- form its development … With instruments that are part
tion (USO), which provides reasonable access to fixed of the existing CSG ceasing in coming months, we will
telephone services. Four instruments that support the work collaboratively with the community and industry
CSG – made by the Minister for Communications and to ensure performance standards appropriately reflect
the Australian Communications and Media Authority changes in the market and consumer interests.’
(ACMA) – are set to cease on 1 October 2023. Given (February 17, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
its regulatory role, it was noted that the ACMA will be
involved in the review process. In launching the con- A court-enforceable undertaking from Telstra related to
sultation the DITRDCA said that since the CSG was the telco’s failure to comply with its ‘priority assistance’
first introduced, the telecommunications industry had obligations has been accepted by the Australian
changed dramatically as a result of the rise of mobile Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). As a
technology, changing consumer preferences, the cre- condition of its license, Telstra is required to provide

129 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023