Page 121 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SA-ME-NA REGION

The Angolan government plans to sell its shares in the privatization. The minister noted that more than half of
troubled state-owned operator Unitel as part of broader these companies have already been sold to the private
efforts to privatize the country’s economy. Minister of sector since the program began in 2019. Unitel made
State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, headlines for the wrong reasons last year when Isabel
Angola stated: “We are privatizing our telecommunications dos Santos, former director and daughter of Angola’s
company Unitel” in the coming months, with part of the former ruler José Eduardo dos Santos, was accused of
sale set to be conducted through the stock exchange, mismanagement and misappropriating nearly US$400
reported Bloomberg. Unitel is one of the 200 largest million in company funds.
state-owned companies and assets identified for (January 24, 2025) www.developingtelecoms.com

The government proposed laws to strengthen the incentivising operators to educate themselves about
Australian Communications and Media Authority’s their obligations to consumers. Rowland explained
(ACMA) enforcement powers with the aim of better the laws would empower ACMA to take direct and
protecting consumers. The proposed reform measures immediate enforcement action against telecoms
Australia include amendments to the Telecommunications Act providers which breach their obligations to customers
1997 and would also raise penalties for breaches, under industry codes. The change would remove
with the maximum for not following industry codes the current two-step process requiring ACMA to first
and standards to increase from AUD250,000 issue a direction to comply to the offending operator
($157,200) to as much as AUD10 million. Minister for regardless of the significance the breach and only take
Communications Michelle Rowland wrote in a post: further action if non-compliance continues, she added.
“The significant reforms included in this bill will better ACMA would be able to take “quick and appropriate
equip the ACMA with the tools and powers it needs to action” in response to breaches to immediately address
protect telco consumers and hold providers to account.” consumer harm, the government stated.
She added the changes provide a powerful deterrent by (February 12, 2025) www.mobileworldlive.com

The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) and learning institutions, and even the Air Force, which were
the Band Management Entity (EAF) announced that the operating in the Extended C Band, were vacated. The
3.5 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, intended for 5G, process ended in March this year, two years ahead of
had been cleared after the total removal of interference schedule. The second stage was the cleaning of the
Brazil that prevented the activation of the signal in the 5,570 frequency, with the installation of filters in the satellite
dishes to attenuate interference from the towers on
municipalities nationwide. Hence, mobile phone
operators are now free to install 5G technology as per mobile devices as well as the distribution of around 4.3
the authorization granted on Nov. 26 which could not million free conversion kits to families benefiting from
be implemented earlier. Before 5G, this band was used federal social programs who depend on the traditional
by broadcasting and open satellite television services, satellite dish to access the open TV signal. The clean-
mainly by satellite dishes, which operated in Band C. up of the Band C signal used a partnership similar to
This technology works in the 3.7 GHz to 6.4 GHz range, that observed in the switch-off of analog television. To
very close to the 5G band, it was explained. Over the last free up the 700 megahertz (MHz) analog TV frequency
few years, Anatel has acted on two fronts: migration for the adoption of 4G, cellular operators paid for the
from Band C and eliminating interference in the band distribution of UHF antennas and digital television
close to 3.5 GHz. Overall, 1,482 professional satellite converters to low-income families.
stations (FSS), used by radio and TV stations, distance (December 4, 2024) www.en.mercopress.com

121 JAN-FEB 2025