Page 125 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Opponents, meanwhile, have suggested that the reforms in June 2020. Diaz’s father, Francisco Diaz, is the Chief
will make it easier for the state to practice ‘espionage of the National Police and a key ally of Ortega in his
and repression’. Nahima Diaz Flores – whose sister is continued censorship of independent media outlets.
married to one of Ortega’s sons – was placed in charge (June 21, 2023) www.commsupdate.com
of running Telcor after Orlando Castillo passed away

Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications to 1.33% and 2.33% of their annual turnover for 2022,
and Post (ARCEP) has fined four mobile operators a respectively) and Niger Telecoms must pay XOF1.19
combined XOF4.32 billion (USD7.3 million) for failing million (2.38% of its 2022 revenue). Moov Africa Niger,
to meet quality of service (QoS) standards. According meanwhile, was handed a penalty of 1.17% of its 2022
Niger to the regulator’s decisions, Airtel Niger and Zamani annual turnover, equating to XOF402.5 million.
Telecom have both been fined XOF1.36 billion (equating (July 26, 2023) www.commsupdate.com

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Expo is open to multisectoral participants, including
is set to showcase achievements so far recorded indigenous telecom operators, manufacturers,
in the promotion of indigenous content in the regulators, government agencies, policymakers,
telecommunications sector. This would be at the innovators, industry leaders, startups, other actors in
Nigeria second edition of the Nigerian Telecommunications the telecom ecosystem, academia and global experts
Indigenous Content Expo (NTICE 2023), which holds
to showcase their products and services, innovative
in Lagos from August 22-24, 2023, at Landmark solutions and new technologies. “The Nigerian
Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Themed: “Harnessing Communications Act (NCA) 2003 empowers the NCC to
Indigenous Content for Economic Growth: Networking encourage local and foreign investments in the Nigerian
to Boost Investment”, the Commission said it is communications industry, introduce innovative services
mobilizing stakeholders for a remarkable outing, and practices as well as promote the participation of
following a very impressive showing at the maiden Nigerians in the ownership, control and management
edition of the event last year. A statement signed by the of communications companies and development of
Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Muoka noted,”The communications manufacturing and supply sectors. He
NTICE is being coordinated by the Commission’s said the 2023 Expo is billed to project the achievements
Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom of indigenous content by the government for the sector
Sector (NODITS), which superintends over efforts for and afford participants the platform to showcase their
effective implementation of the National Policy on the products and services, innovative solutions and new
Promotion and Implementation of Indigenous Contents technologies.
in the Telecommunications Sector, (NPPIC). “The (August 17, 2023) www.newsdiaryonline.com

The National Communications Authority (Nkom) has the fixed network to include inflation trends, among
issued a decision under which updated price ceilings other things, as part of its decision to implement new
for copper-based services are to be adopted. As per the price ceilings. As per the Nkom’s plans, for Market 3a
regulator’s plans, the new price caps will apply from 1 (wholesale local access provided at a fixed location) a
Norway October 2023, with further rate updates scheduled to price cap of NOK94 per month for local loop unbundling
take effect from 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2025, (LLU) will apply from 1 October, with this rising to
respectively. Nkom notes that local fixed line incumbent NOK98 from the start of 2024 before increasing again,
Telenor Norge is obliged to maintain access to its copper to NOK102, a year later. Meanwhile, for Market 3b
infrastructure for wholesale customers until September (wholesale central access provided at a fixed location
2025, despite it having ceased offering copper-based for mass-market products), a range of price ceilings will
connectivity on a retail basis. Given this situation, and be set for ADSL, VDSL and SHDSL services, with these
with the watchdog’s previous price caps having been dependent on service speed.
set for 2021, it said it now updated its cost model for (July 27, 2023) www.commsupdate.com

125 JULY-AUGUST 2023