Page 105 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

EU Unveils Plan for New Digital ID Wallet

The European Commission on Thursday of a smartphone application to help citizens that, you can decide how much data you
unveiled a plan to provide digital wallets navigate cross-border bureaucracy. It want to share” only enough to identify
for the EU’s 450 million residents to store could be used to open bank accounts, sign yourself," she said from Brussels during a
their identity documents. According to apartment leases and enroll in colleges virtual media briefing. Some EU countries
the proposal, EU citizens would be able to abroad. The digital wallet "will enable us to already have their own national digital
sign up voluntarily for the European Digital do in any member state as we do at home ID systems. Belgium has a mandatory
Identity Wallets, which would allow them without any extra cost and fewer hurdles," ID card that has a mobile app equivalent
access to a wide range of public services said Margrethe Vestager, the European that is used to pay taxes, carry out bank
and store official documents. Officials Commission’s executive vice president for transfers or request key documents from
say the coronavirus pandemic has shown digital. "And do this in a way that is secure local authorities. The Commission plans
the need to have a way of recognizing and transparent." Online platforms such as to discuss the wallet with EU member
paperwork across the 27-member bloc. Google or Facebook would be required to countries and aims to get them to agree
Diplomats last month signed off on a accept the wallet, a provision that aligns on technical details by the autumn so
digital green travel certificate, effectively a with the commission’s goal of reining in pilot projects can begin. But before it
vaccine passport, as a means of reopening big tech companies and their control of becomes law, the proposal would be need
travel across the European Union. The personal data. Vestager said people would to approved by lawmakers in the European
Commission, the EU executive body largely be able to use their EU digital wallets to Parliament and all 27 EU governments.
responsible for proposing legislation, access those services, instead of their
intends for the wallets to come in the form "platform-specific" accounts. "Because of

UAE Telecom Regulator Updates Registration Requirements for Mobile Users

The Telecommunications and Digital Government
Regulatory Authority (TDRA) announced the release
of an updated version of the Regulatory Policy on
Registration Requirements for mobile consumers.
The updates included aspects related to the
registration of mobile SIM Cards point of sales (PoS),
and require that the applicant for the registration
of PoS must communicate with the concerned
licensee to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC)
that includes information about the PoS and the
sellers. These updates reflect TDRA’s keenness to
ensure that customers obtain their mobile SIM cards
through approved PoS that meet the standards set by
TDRA. “TDRA is keen to launch and update policies
that control the relationship between the customer,
licensees and PoS, to preserve the rights of all
parties, and secure advanced, modern and seamless
services that achieve happiness and satisfaction of
all customers in the ICT sector. The great and rapid
development in the ICT sector requires us to work
quickly and accurately to update relevant policies, in
order to meet the increasing demand for the services
provided by the sector,” said Eng. Saif Bin Ghelaita,
Director of Technology Development Affairs. TDRA
carefully monitors the performance of mobile SIM
Cards PoS in the UAE, and facilitates the process and the provision of telecommunications services are regulated activities
of customers obtaining their own numbers easily, that can only be practiced by UAE licensees and their outlets, or by economic
conveniently and safely. “In accordance with Federal establishments that are commercially licensed and registered with TDRA,” said
Law by Decree No. 3 of 2003 and its amendments, Bin Ghelaita. As part of its responsibility for the telecommunications sector,
(the telecom law) and the Mobile SIM Card PoS TDRA’s teams conduct field visits to the PoS to ensure that they meet all the
Registration Policy, the sale of mobile SIM cards conditions stipulated in the mobile SIM Cards PoS Policy.

105 JUN-AUG 2021