Page 98 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

million) to manufacture 5G kit. It was among the first to television companies, reports Veja. According to a
express its disappointment about the delay, with Tiago resolution published in the Official Gazette, “quality
Machado, director of government relations for Ericsson goals are established from the consumer’s point
LatAm South, telling FT politicians and regulators must of view and must be met equally by all providers of
“take proper measures to make sure this goes forward pay-TV services”. The main new development is that
in a timely manner”. The delay could have one positive, every operator should have an Ombudsman to receive
by providing Brazil’s government more time to decide if customer complaints, with a ten-day deadline to deal
it will allow Huawei to participate in 5G network builds. with them. Once that deadline has expired, if there is
Brazil is one of many countries facing from pressure disagreement with the measures adopted, consumers
from the US to ban the Chinese vendor on security can take their demands directly to Anatel. Unlike
grounds. (January 13, 2020) mobileworldlive.com before, customers now have predictable situations in
which they can exercise unilateral breach of contract.
Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) (December 29, 2019) telecompaper.com
has reviewed the quality requirements for cable

Chile’s telecoms watchdog has begun public licenses, Subtel has stipulated that the winning bidder
consultation on plans to auction spectrum for 5G must use the spectrum for the rollout of LTE-A Pro
services, inviting ‘all members of the digital ecosystem’ or 5G services. Concessions in the two higher bands,
to participate in the process, which will run until 14 meanwhile, must be used for 5G. The regulator also
Chile February 2020. The Department of Telecommunications set out coverage requirements for the licenses, with
the 700MHz licensee’s footprint to cover 200 square
(Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones, Subtel) has
proposed selling off spectrum in four bands via separate kilometers of each commune in the five most populous
and independent processes, although each concession regions (Santiago Metropolitan, Valparaiso, Biobio,
will be valid for 30 years and carry technological Maule and Araucania) and 100 square kilometers of
restrictions. The frequencies available are as follows: each commune in the other eleven regions. Holders of
one 2×10MHz block of 700MHz spectrum (703MHz- licenses in the other three bands, however, are expected
713MHz/758MHz-768MHz); 2×15MHz in the 2100MHz to cover a portion of each commune nationwide as
band (1755MHz-1770MHz/2155MHz-2170MHz); follows: 2100MHz, 100 square kilometers; 3500MHz,
15 10MHz blocks in the 3500MHz band (3300MHz- 40 square kilometers; and 28GHz, one square kilometer.
3400MHz, and 3600MHz-3650MHz); and two tranches (January 15, 2020) commsupdate.com
of 400MHz in the 28GHz range. For the two FDD

The Chinese government has awarded a 5G trial license by the end of 2020, according to a recent statement by
to state-owned cable TV operator China Broadcasting MIIT. Recent data from MIIT showed that Chinese state
Network with the aim of accelerating the nationwide carriers have already deployed a total of 126,000 5G
deployment of 5G in the country. Through this license, base stations across the country. Chinese telcos China
China the broadcaster will be allowed to run trials in the 4.9 Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom had launched
GHz frequency range in 16 cities including Beijing, the commercial 5G services in November 2019. The service
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) was initially available in large cities including Beijing,
said. In June, China Broadcasting Network had obtained Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Tianjin.
a license for the provision of commercial 5G services. According to previous reports, the three operators
At that time, the government also granted licenses to were expecting to operate nearly 130,000 5G base
China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. The stations by the end of 2019. China Mobile announced
new test frequency license means that the state-owned plans to install 50,000 5G sites by end-2019, while
broadcaster has officially obtained the right to use 5G China Unicom and China Telecom each target about
frequencies in relevant regions across China. At the 40,000, according to press reports. According to the
end of last year, the MIIT issued licenses for 5G trials China Academy of Information and Communications
in a number of cities across China. Commercial rollout Technology, 5G technology is expected to create more
of 5G in China was initially expected to occur during than 8 million jobs in China by 2030. It is forecasted
2020. However, the Chinese government decided to that 28% of China’s mobile connections will be running
accelerate 5G deployment will trigger investment in on 5G networks by 2025, accounting for about one-
the Chinese market. All the 300 prefecture-level cities third of all 5G connections globally, according to a
in China are expected to be covered by a 5G network previous report by the GSMA. (January 7, 2020) rcrwireless.com

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