Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

in a manner that will bring more services and benefits Committees on Telecommunications and Judiciary for
to the people, while reducing structural bureaucracies review and recommendations, with a mandate to report
which hinder the functions and smooth running of back to Plenary ‘within two weeks.
the corporation.’ The Bill has been forwarded to the (January 25, 2022) commsupdate.com

Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Federal year quest for a pay-TV license remains unfulfilled
de Telecomunicaciones, IFT) has reportedly voted to for now. The source told the news agency: ‘There’s no
deny America Movil (AM) a pay-TV license. According certainty of a new proposal.’ TeleGeography notes that
to Reuters, which cites a source with knowledge of AM-backed Telmex is Mexico’s largest ISP and fixed
Mexico the matter, two IFT commissioners voted to deny the voice provider in terms of subscriptions, while cellular
request outright, while the other three commissioners unit Telcel serves more than 60% of the mobile market.
dismissed the proposal as containing ‘procedural (January 27, 2022) commsupdate.com
defects. The decision means that Carlos Slim’s 15-

The telecoms watchdog the Agency for Electronic 2031. EKIP revealed four blocks of 5MHz in the 2.6GHz
Communications and Postal Services (EKIP) has band, valued at around EUR192,000, remained unsold.
announced the auction of a total of 220MHz of Meanwhile, the government of Montenegro adopted
spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2GHz and 2.6GHz a roadmap for the deployment of 5G networks on 24
Montenegro frequency bands staged in late December 2021 raised December. The document, prepared by EKIP and the
a total of EUR7.086 million (USD8.027 million). Mtel will Ministry of Economic Development, aims to encourage
pay EUR5.911 million for frequencies in the 900MHz, the implementation of all necessary steps to enable
1800MHz, 2GHz and 2.6GHz bands, while Telenor and the introduction of 5G mobile networks by the end of
Crnogorski Telekom won 2.6GHz spectrum with bids 2022, by which time a national 5G strategy should be
of EUR825,011 and EUR350,000, respectively. User adopted.
rights are valid from 21 April 2022 until 1 September (January 4, 2022) commsupdate.com

The government has once again extended the deadline and other enrolment agents have opened centers
for the country’s mobile phone users to register a valid across the country to make it easier for eligible citizens
National Identification Number (NIN) with their service and residents to obtain and link their NINs. Nigeria had
Nigeria provider, as the focus shifts to remote areas, schools just over 185 million users at the end of September
and health centers. The date has now been postponed
2021, notes TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database,
from 31 December 2021 to 31 March 2022, following down from around 200 million subscribers nine months
‘a request by stakeholders, including citizens, legal previously, due to the ongoing registration program.
residents and Nigerians in the diaspora’. The aim of the According to the government the total of unique NIN
NIN and SIM registration exercise, which commenced enrolments reached 71 million at end-2021, with an
in December 2020 and has been extended multiple average of three to four SIMs per NIN.
times, is to improve the security in the West African (January 4, 2022) commsupdate.com
nation. To facilitate the process, telecoms operators

The Independent Consumer & Competition Commission application, and as well as comments received
(ICCC) has proposed granting clearance to Australia’s from both industry participants and other relevant
Telstra for the latter’s proposed acquisition of Digicel stakeholders, including available market information,
PNG and its subsidiaries. In a press release issued via the ICCC has concluded in its draft determination that
social media, the ICCC announced that it has decided to the proposed acquisition will not have, or will not be
Papua New hold a ‘pre-decision conference’ related to the clearance likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening
Guinea application lodged by Telstra related to the acquisition, competition in any telecommunication services market
while it has also released a draft determination related … The ICCC therefore proposes to give clearance to
to the application. Commenting, ICCC commissioner Telstra to proceed with the proposed acquisition.’
and CEO Paulus Ain said: ‘After careful consideration Comments have now been invited on the watchdog’s
of the information provided in Telstra’s clearance draft determination, with the ICCC having set a deadline

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