Page 137 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

to the NGN Institute, with the goal of supporting the Telekom Kosovo signed a deal with Ericsson Nikola
deployment of local private 5G networks. IPKO revealed Tesla, a Croatian subsidiary of Ericsson, to modernize
it completed 5G testing in July of last year, where it was the operator's mobile network, including 5G broadband,
able to achieve speeds of more than 1.2Gbps. However, noted Broadband TV News in December of last year.
the operator didn't disclose the vendor it worked with. (February 20, 2022) www.datacenterdynamics.com

The telecoms watchdog the Office for Communication that had been reserved for mobile services to the trio
(Amt fur Kommunikation, AK) has published details and in July that year the three cellcos submitted a joint
of the frequency assignment to the nation’s trio proposal for the award of airwaves in the three new
of mobile providers: Swisscom, Salt and Telecom bands, as well as alterations to existing allocations.
Liechten- Liechtenstein (FL1). In February 2020 AK had invited A final application was submitted to the regulator in
the cellcos to propose a solution for the allocation of
October 2022 and the new allocations were awarded in
stein additional spectrum in the 700MHz, 1400MHz and December, although it was not until the following month
3500MHz ranges and to adapt the existing terms of that the details were published in full on AK’s website.
use for airwaves. In May 2020 the government passed (January 12, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
a resolution to distribute the entirety of the spectrum

The Agency for Regulation of Technology and to publish a roadmap detailing measures to reorganize
Communication (Autorite de Regulation des frequency band usage. In July 2020 ARTEC ordered
Technologies de Communications, ARTEC) has revealed Telecom Malagasy (Telma) to deactivate a 5G network
that some technical issues still need to be resolved launched in Antananarivo and Taomasina the previous
Madagascar before 5G services can be launched in Madagascar, month using spectrum in the 3.6GHz-3.7GHz band.
but it expects they will become operational ‘soon’. In a Noting the operator’s temporary permit did not authorize
press release, the watchdog explained that ‘anomalies’ the marketing of commercial services, ARTEC also
were still being detected during 5G tests conducted highlighted that it was a condition of the authorization
by an unnamed national operator at 20 sites (17 in that all tests were to be conducted within an enclosed
Antananarivo and three in Taomasina), resulting in building, ‘whereas the operator had performed trials on
interference with neighboring frequency bands. As more than ten outdoor sites without prior notification’.
part of its efforts to ensure that 5G spectrum can be (January 19, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
allocated ‘under optimal conditions’, ARTEC said it plans

The Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto The Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto
Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT) has informed Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT) has launched
Telcel and AT&T of the renewal fees for their existing a consultation regarding its planned multi-band 5G
850MHz concessions. Each company will pay spectrum auction. The main 5G spectrum bands
Mexico MXN1.231 billion (USD65.1 million) for a 2×10MHz scheduled for inclusion are 70MHz in the 614MHz-
concession. AT&T’s licenses expired last year, while 698MHz (600MHz) band, a 50MHz block at 3300MHz-
Telcel’s licenses are due to expire in 2025. (Note: the 3350MHz and 90MHz in the L-band (1427MHz-
AT&T frequencies previously belonged to Nextel de 1518MHz). In addition, the regulator is keen to gauge
Mexico, which AT&T acquired for USD1.875 billion back feedback regarding the potential inclusion of unused
in 2015.) As per the report, AT&T has renewed spectrum spectrum in a number of other bands. This includes
in the 814MHz-824MHz/859MHz-869MHz band, while spectrum in the 800MHz, 850MHz, 1900MHz, AWS
Telcel’s license includes 835MHz-845MHz/880MHz- and 2.5GHz bands, some of which was relinquished by
890MHz spectrum. The spectrum covers Nuevo Leon, Movistar in 2020. The IFT explains: ‘The design of this
Michoacan, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, Edomex, new tender will seek to assign the greatest amount of
Veracruz, Queretaro, Mexico City, Jalisco, Nayarit, spectrum possible [so] that new players in the mobile
Colima and some highway routes that connect the market can access this resource, especially for the
capital with the Mexican Gulf and the Pacific coast. provision of services in neglected or underserved areas.’
Both license renewals are valid for 20 years, the report (January 11, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
notes. (January 13, 2023) El Economista

137 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023