Page 87 - SAMENA Trends - January 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Bahrain

Bahrain now has full nation-wide 5G coverage, according to its Bahrain’s telecom sector attracted more than $2 billion between
Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications. All of its 1.5 2009 and 2019. The ICT sector now accounts for nearly 3 per
million population can now access the super-fast service, with cent of GDP. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Bahrain’s Minister of
the quickest take up likely to by businesses first. Two of Bahrain's Transportation and Telecommunications, said in a statement:
three mobile operators have touched full coverage, which could “We are continually striving to ensure that the Kingdom maintains
spark a "new wave of opportunities for streaming, gaming and its position among global leaders in this crucial sector. This
supply chain technologies", according to the Ministry. The Gulf includes ensuring availability and deployment of commercial
state expects to attract more tech firms focused on data-driven 5G services and enhancing readiness for next generation ICT
services in the region. Amazon Web Services launching the services such as the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine
region’s first hyper-scale data center in the Kingdom last year. communications." (January 11, 2021) gulfnews.com

Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission October 2020, the average download speed for mobile phones in
has issued the draft regulatory and licensing guidelines for the Bangladesh was 10.76Mbps. Speaking about the government’s
country’s cellular mobile services to facilitate the launch of 5G plan on the 5G rollout, newly appointed BTRC chairman Shyam
mobile phone service. The draft guidelines, published for public Sunder Sikder said that the commission had been moving forward
opinion on Thursday, would also allow the telecom regulator to launch the 5G service by 2023 and had drafted the guidelines in
to issue a single license to each of the telecom operators to this respect that would be finalized on the basis of public opinion.
provide all generations of services, including 2G, 3G, 4G and Even though the country is yet to harvest the benefits of the 4G
even 5G when it is launched in the country, once the guidelines launch, the commission plans to take forward the development
come into force. The unified license would be called the Cellular of the 4G and 5G services simultaneously, he said. In the draft
Mobile Services Operator License, the draft guidelines said. The guidelines, the commission said that the 5G service, once
commission has issued the draft guidelines at a time when the launched, would enable developing countries to make full use of
fourth-generation telecom service accounts for 26.91 per cent of new technologies such as internet of things, artificial intelligence,
the country’s mobile phone subscribers with the number reaching cloud computing, machine-to-machine communication and data
4.57 crore while another 27.8 per cent or 4.72 crore mobile phone analytics, among other things. The licensing guidelines are in line
connections are 3G enabled. As of November 2020, 54.71 per with the government’s spirit and plan to introduce 5G to promote
cent or 9.29 crore of the country’s 16.98 crore mobile phone high speed mobile broadband and multimedia communications,
connections are 3G and 4G enabled while the remaining 45.29 upscale usage of smart devices in smart homes or cities
per cent or 7.69 crore mobile phone users still use their handsets throughout the country and make it affordable for all and also to
for making voice calls only. While a large proportion of mobile promote the fourth industrial revolution, it said. The BTRC, in its
phone users in Bangladesh still do not have mobile internet draft guidelines, would issue the unified license to the telecom
connections, around 400 telecom operators in 129 countries or operators who would obtain the 5G service technology neutral
territories are investing in the 5G network with the service already spectrum from the commission. Besides the existing telecom
launched by 96 operators in different countries, according to data operators, the commission has also reserved slots for new
from Raconteur Media, a London-based independent publisher of telecom operators. It said that new entrants who would obtain
special interest content for some of the world’s leading brands. the 5G service technology neutral spectrum from the commission
Of the countries, South Korea had the highest seven crore 5G would be eligible to apply for the license or permission for
mobile phone subscribers across the globe as of July 2020. The providing 5G service. The license would be valid for 15 years from
country’s mobile phone subscribers were using 5G at a speed the date of issuance. The telecom operator that will receive the
of 59Mbps. Apart from South Korea, the speed of 5G internet cellular mobile service operator license will have to provide 5G
available in Japan was 49.3Mbps, 47.5Mbps in Norway, 43Mbps services in all divisional headquarters within 12 months from
in Australia, 42.8Mbps in Switzerland, 33.5Mbps in Denmark, the date of issuance of the license. In two years of the license
32.2Mbps in the United Arab Emirates and 31.3Mbps in Qatar. issuance, the operators will have to provide 5G services to 50
The data said that 118 telecom operators in 59 countries or per cent of the district headquarters. Within three years of the
territories had announced the launch of the service within their license issuance, the operator will have to take the service to all
live networks. According to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for district headquarters. The commission has designated 2.6GHz

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