Page 102 - SAMENA Trends - January 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

of 25 January 2022 for submissions. Meanwhile, with to this event to ‘certain stakeholders.
regards to the pre-decision conference, the competition (January 10, 2022) commsupdate.com
authority said it plans to send formal invitation letters

The National Telecommunications Program (Pronatel) the inflexible pricing structure for capacity on the
has assumed temporary control of operation and network, the system was underutilized and required
maintenance of the National Fiber Optic Backbone (Red consistent funding from the government. In mid-
Dorsal Nacional de Fibra Optica or RDNFO) following 2021 the government noted that it had spent USD290
Peru the expiry of the government’s contract with the million on the project – USD192 million more than
network’s previous operator, Azteca Communications.
initially estimated – with only 3.2% of the network’s
Pronatel notes that the assets of the RDNFO have not installed capacity being used at that date, generating
yet reverted to state control, as Azteca is still required revenues that covered just 7.7% of the network’s
to address a number of issues identified by Pronatel costs. Efforts to address the network’s issues were
during a series of inspections conducted by the agency complicated by the fact that the rules regarding the
in November and December last year. Part of the RDNFO had been enshrined in law and would need to
Ministry of Transport and Communications (Ministerio be amended. An amendment was eventually passed
de Transportes y Comunicaciones, MTC), Pronatel will in January 2020, following which Azteca submitted a
operate the network for up to three years in order to proposal to terminate its concession early by mutual
guarantee continuity of service of the 13,000km fiber agreement. Negotiations between Azteca and the MTC
system which connects 22 regional capitals and 180 were unsuccessful and the in July 2021 the ministry
provincial capitals. The state-backed project has unilaterally ordered the cancellation of the license, to
been beset by legal and commercial difficulties since take effect from early 2022.
construction was completed in 2016. Due in part to (January 19, 2022) commsupdate.com

The National Authority for Management and Regulation and Telekom Romania Communications (82,333). Post-
in Communications (ANCOM) has revealed that almost paid subscriptions accounted for 54% (569,784) of the
1.106 million telephone numbers were ported in mobile numbers ported. Fixed telephone numbers
2021 – the highest annual figure since the service’s were ported between the main providers as follows:
Romania introduction in 2008. Mobile number porting rose 20.3% RCS&RDS 30,117, Vodafone 6,926, Orange 6,416,
GTS Telecom 5,487, Voxbone 2,481 and others 3,444.
year-on-year to 1.051 million, while 54,871 fixed voice
numbers were transferred between providers (23.4% Almost 8.4 million numbers have now been transferred
lower). RCS&RDS (DIGI) accepted the most mobile between networks since the portability service was
porting requests in 2021 (561,963), followed by Orange introduced in October 2008, comprising 7.4 million
Romania (152,939), Vodafone Romania (148,017), mobile numbers (87%) and almost one million fixed
Telekom Romania Mobile Communications (105,634) voice numbers. (January 27, 2022) commsupdate.com

Russia’s Rostelecom has applied to the State fixed wireless access (FWA) 3.5GHz spectrum license
Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) for held by Rostelecom/FreshTel was extended in June
permission to test 5G mobile services using 3.3GHz- 2021 to 1 July 2022, but the concession does not
4.1GHz frequency bands in the metro (subway) train allow 5G; following 3.5GHz 5G pilots held in 2018, trial
Russia networks of Moscow, St Petersburg and Kazan. Last permits were not extended beyond that year, and state
year a similar application via Rostelecom’s subsidiary
permission for refarming 3.5GHz FWA frequencies for
FreshTel for testing 3.4GHz-3.8GHz in the Moscow 5G mobile was not forthcoming.
and Kazan subways was not accepted by the SCRF. A (January 19, 2022) TDaily

The economic difficulties in recent years have made many areas of the country. In recent years, though, the
it difficult for telcos and the government to sustain government has addressed the lack of guidance which
investment in infrastructure. The government has also had prevailed since 1991, when a dictatorial regime
had to contend with militant groups which continue was overthrown. The National Communications Law
Somalia on occasion to force the closure of internet services in was passed in October 2017, aimed at setting a legal

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