Page 98 - SAMENA Trends - January 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

including the possibility for the Belgian Institute for after one year, 99.5% after two years and 99.8% after
Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) to six years. With regard to the thorny issue of radiation
withdraw unused user rights in that band; the option standards, the minister has stressed that operators will
for the BIPT to extend existing 2G (900MHz and have to respect regional regulations, as ‘it is not for the
1800MHz) and 3G (2100MHz) licenses due to expire in federal government to dictate the rules. The next step
March 2021 until the auction has been completed; the will be to present the proposal to the Inter-ministerial
allocation of the 700MHz band, also referred to as the Committee on Telecom and Broadcasting and the
‘second digital dividend’, for 5G services; the allocation Coordination Committee of the federal government
of the 1427MHz-1517MHz range, standardized for and regions, following which parliament must approve
SDL by the 3GPP and therefore suitable for use by the legislation and the BIPT can begin planning the
mobile operators with other frequency bands; and the technical details of the auction. Meanwhile, Proximus
allocation of the 3400MHz-3800MHz (3.6GHz) band for CEO Guillaume Boutin has told L’Echo that the coverage
5G services. The draft amendment to Article 30 of the targets set out in the draft legislation are feasible and
Law of 13 June 2005 on Electronic Communications, that he expects that the deployment of 5G services
meanwhile, concerns the fees for the use of the will ‘go very quickly’, indeed even faster than the 4G
spectrum. The texts also specify that operators will be rollout, as the low frequency 700MHz band will enable
required to provide 5G coverage to 70% of population coverage of a wider area, (January 25, 2021) L’Echo

The telecommunications regulator will launch a interveners are scheduled to begin presentations on
multi-day review of the Canadian Broadcasting Friday and continue over eight days until Jan. 26. The
Corp.’s broadcasting licenses. The CRTC says Canadian Media Producers Association will make the
electronic hearings will begin at 10 a.m. before its first presentation. Others include the Canadian Olympic
Canada five-member panel. The Canadian Radio-television Committee, Quebecor Media Inc., Friends of Canadian
and Telecommunications Commission will first hear Broadcasting and the Office of the Commissioner of
from the public broadcaster which is seeking to renew Official Languages. CBC’s response to the intervener
licensees for its various English- and French-language presentations is scheduled for January 27. (January 11,
audio and audio-visual programming services. Seventy 2021) toronto.citynews.ca

Competitions for 5G spectrum in the 700MHz, AWS will go head-to-head for the available 700MHz band
and 3.5GHz bands in Chile will proceed to a series frequencies, whilst the two will also face competition
of independent auctions, sector watchdog the from Claro for the AWS airwaves. Finally, the 3.5GHz
Department of Telecommunications (SUBTEL) has range will be contested by WOM, Claro, Movistar, Entel
Chile confirmed, after the initial technical offers submitted and Borealnet. SUBTEL notes that the auctions will
take place in ascending order based on the amount
by the interested parties were tied. Spectrum in the
26GHz band, however, will be awarded to all three of of spectrum available, starting with the 700MHz
the companies that submitted offers – Claro, Entel and frequencies – for which there is a single 2×10MHz block
WOM – without auction, as there is sufficient available – on 8 February, followed by the AWS band (2×15MHz)
bandwidth to fulfil the requests. Regarding the other on 11 February and the 3.5GHz frequencies (150MHz)
three bands, WOM and would-be newcomer Borealnet on 16 February. (January 18, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Communications Regulatory Commission GlobalComms Database, in December 2019 Partners
(Comision de Regulacion de Comunicaciones, CRC) (representing Icelandic-owned, UK-based private
has reportedly ordered the country’s cellcos to sign equity firm Novator Partners) successfully bid on
interconnection agreements with market newcomer frequencies in the 700MHz band and 2500MHz bands in
Colombia Partners (WOM), ahead of the latter’s planned network Colombia’s multi-band spectrum auction. In July 2020,
launch. According to Portafolio.com, the watchdog meanwhile, Novator Partners acquired an unspecified
handed down its ruling on 28 December 2020, quoting majority stake in Colombian mobile operator Avantel
a CRC spokesperson as saying: ‘The decisions and launched a restructuring of the business. CEO
contained in the issued resolutions will be the basis Chris Bannister has indicated that a full commercial
for Partners Telecom Colombia to materialize access, switch-on will take place in the first quarter of 2021,
use and interconnection relationships with Comcel under the WOM brand that Novator currently uses in
and Tigo-Une, for which the parties must comply with Chile.
the defined schedule.’ According to TeleGeography’s (January 7, 2021) commsupdate.com
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