Page 106 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Communications According to the regulator, demand for the minimum
(Ofcom, also known as Bundesamt fur Kommunikation speed offering is expected to be in the region of around
or Bakom) has implemented changes to the universal 11,000 connections. (January 16, 2020) commsupdate.com
service license, tripling the minimum broadband
speeds to be offered by the licensee to 10Mbps/1Mbps Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court has rejected
Switzerland (downlink/uplink) from 3Mbps/300kbps. The new an appeal from state-owned fixed line incumbent
requirements followed a decision from the Federal Swisscom against a 2009 antitrust ruling related to
Council in October 2019 and came into effect from the company’s ADSL pricing policy, confirming a fine
1 January 2020. State-owned full-service provider of CHF186 million (USD192 million). The fine was
Swisscom currently holds the universal service license, originally set at CHF220 million by the Competition
which was issued in May 2017 and covers the period Commission (Wettbewerbskommission, WEKO) in
2018-2022. Explaining its decision, Ofcom commented 2009, when it found that the prices set by Swisscom
that citizens in rural or poorly-connected areas would for its wholesale ADSL services from 2001 to 2007
benefit from the measure as ‘the faster connection were too high for its competitors to offer retail ADSL
increases the opportunities to participate in social and services profitably. In September 2015 the Federal
economic life’. The regulator notes that the principle of Administrative Court rejected a subsequent appeal
technological neutrality applies to the universal service from Swisscom but lowered the fine to CHF186 million.
license and, as such, Swisscom can – in addition to its Responding to the court’s decision, Swisscom stated
fixed systems – use mobile and satellite technologies, in a press release that it maintains that the sanction
or a mix of different platforms to satisfy the terms is unjustified. The telco adds that it had to pay the
the license. As Swisscom is already making use of penalty back in 2015 and as such the court’s most
this option and the expected level of efficiency of the recent decision will have no impact on Swisscom’s
operator, Ofcom did not grant the telco an additional 2019 financial statements, or its outlook for 2020.
transition period to implement the new obligation. (January 2, 2020) commsupdate.com

All five mobile operators in Taiwan spent a total of the newspaper wrote. Far EasTone acquired 80MHz
TWD138 billion ($4.6 billion) securing 5G spectrum, of 3.5GHz spectrum for TWD40.6 billion and 400MHz
with the protracted sale registering as the third-priciest in the 28GHz band for TWD412 million, while Taiwan
auction for the technology in the world, Taipei Times Mobile spent TWD30.4 billion on 60MHz in the 3.5GHz
reported, citing figures from the regulator. Taiwan’s band and TWD206 million for 200MHz of 28GHz
Taiwan government forecast the sale to generate about airwaves. Taiwan Star Telecom secured 40MHz in the
TWD44 billion. The price per 10MHz block of 3.5GHz 3.5GHz band for TWD19.7 billion. Asia Pacific Telecom,
spectrum reached TWD5.075 billion, which the National the smallest operator with a 7 per cent market share
Communications Commission (NCC) said was a world by subscribers, pulled out of the 3.5GHz sale after
record. The auction started on 10 December and ended initially bidding, but paid TWD412 million for 40MHz
yesterday (16 January) after 261 rounds. On offer of 28GHz spectrum. It said it would look to cooperate
was 270MHz in the 3.5GHz band, 2,500MHz of 28GHz with other operators. The NCC introduced regulations
airwaves and 20MHz in the 1.8GHz band. Market leader requiring operators to share 5G spectrum with rivals.
Chunghwa Telecom paid TWD45.7 billion for 90MHz in Only 1,600MHz of the 28GHz spectrum was sold.
the 3.5GHz band and TWD618 million for 600MHz of (January 17, 2020) mobileworldlive.com
28GHz spectrum. It plans to launch 5G services in July,

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority release, mobile market leader Vodacom Tanzania has
(TCRA) has begun blocking unregistered customers so far barred 157,000 of its unregistered customers
from accessing mobile services, following the from accessing services. The firm’s Managing Director
conclusion of its biometric SIM registration program Hisham Hendi urged customers affected by the move
on 20 January. Since that date, which was extended to visit one of Vodacom’s more than 35,000 service
Tanzania from an earlier deadline of 31 December 2019, over points across the country to register their lines and
656,091 SIMs have been barred by network operators, continue using the company’s services. (January 22,
the regulator’s Director General James Kilaba told 2020) commsupdate.com
state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation. He
added that additional unregistered subscribers are set The President has extended the deadline for biometric
to be blocked in phases. According to a company press SIM card registration to 20 January 2020, reports

106 JANUARY 2020