Page 131 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

and Flow Barbados, as well as other MIST personnel, to Barbados. The ability for customers to be able to
members of the Fair-Trading Commission (FTC) and make an unfettered choice of one service provider
representatives from consultancy firm Northpoint. Mr. over another – a fundamental consumer right – is
Ishmael commented: ‘I am elated to announce that now possible.’ Mobile numbers will be ported within 24
Barbados’ telecommunications sector has come of hours, while a fixed voice number will take five days to
age. This government, your government, has delivered be transferred. (February 3, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
on its promise to introduce Local Number Portability

Telecoms regulator the Belgian Institute for Postal licenses for 1GHz of spectrum in March 2021, it is
Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has opened a now proposing to extend these until 30 June 2023.
consultation regarding the extension of temporary user The regulator will also consider options which would
rights in the 70GHz/80GHz frequency bands assigned potentially enable similar frequency assignments in
Belgium to Telenet, Proximus and Orange Belgium for the use the bands for new entrant Citymesh Mobile and other
of radio relay links. Having previously granted each of potential users. (January 13, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
the three mobile network operators (MNOs) temporary

The National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia fulfilled. In total, Oi faced claims from some 65,000
Nacional de Telecomunicacoes, Anatel) has announced creditors, although not all cases had been settled as of
that it has set up a Working Group to monitor the the December decision. (February 6, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
operational and financial situation of troubled telco
Brazil Oi Group in relation to its Judicial Recovery Plan. The The Board of Directors at the National
Telecommunications Agency (Agencia Nacional de
Working Group will evaluate and propose measures to
deal with the possible discontinuity of Oi’s operations. Telecomunicacoes, Anatel) has approved the renewal of
In the event of a bankruptcy scenario, Anatel is Algar Telecom ’s spectrum usage rights in the 800MHz,
determined to maintain the provision of fixed voice 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. The 800MHz permit has
services, in accordance with the telco’s Servico de been extended until 29 November 2028, while the other
Telefonia Fixa Comutado (STFC) license. In addition, two concessions will run until 22 December 2032. the
Oi is obliged to notify the Working Group in advance 15-year licenses were previously renewed in 2008 and
of any changes to its equity interest in neutral network were due to expire on 21 January. Locations covered by
fiber firm V.tal, following recent suggestions that Oi the regional licenses include Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais,
could cash in on the asset to ease its debt situation. Mato Grosso do Sul and Goias. Going forward, Anatel
Last week, Oi requested ‘urgent precautionary relief’ is understood to be keen to reappraise the issue of
from the 7th Corporate Court of the Court of Justice of 2G/3G spectrum licenses, rather than renewing them
Rio de Janeiro in relation to ‘a potential renegotiation automatically when they expire. The watchdog hopes
of certain debts. The telco’s judicial recovery drew to a to revise its rules governing spectrum allocations and
close on 14 December 2022, after around six-and-a-half use (Regulamento de Uso de Espectro, RUE) to create
years. Fernando Viana, the judge of the 7th Corporate larger, contiguous spectrum blocks in the 850MHz,
Court of the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro, declared 900MHz and 1800MHz bands, which can be used to
that all obligations assumed by the company have been boost capacity in the 5G-era. (January 20, 2023) TeleTime

Three mobile operators have committed to invest XAF156 and improving the quality of services throughout the
billion (USD255 million) in their operations across national territory. ‘I think what our consumers should be
Cameroon this year, Justine Diffo Tchunkam, Chair of expecting should be an improvement in the future as we

Cameroon the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART), said. look to find lasting solutions to the challenges that are
impacting the quality of services today,’ MTN Cameroon
MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon and Viettel (Nexttel)
will spend the funds on extending network coverage CEO Mitwa Ng’ambi said. (January 10, 2023) ITWeb

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