Page 114 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021
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REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES  SAMENA TRENDS


                           A SNAPSHOT OF REGULATORY ACTIVITIES

                                          IN THE SAMENA REGION







                                                                                                Afghanistan



        The  Afghanistan  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  (ATRA)  has   accomplishment while speaking in the ceremony.
        granted frequency in 1800 MHz band to the state-owned telco   (July 18, 2021) developingtelecoms.com
        Afghan Telecom (Aftel), which offers wireless services under the
        Salaam brand, for providing broadband advanced/ 4G services. In   ATRA senior officials gave information to the Technical Delegates
        the country’s first spectrum auction last month, ATRA put up for   and Budget and Finance Commission of Lower House members
        sale frequencies in the 1800MHz (three lots of 2×5MHz), 2100MHz   each  one  Mr.  Azim  Mohsini,  Jawed  Sapai,  Shukuria  Esakhel
        (two  lots  of  2×5MHz),  and  2600MHz  (three  lots  of  2×10MHz)   and technical advisors to the commission had come to ATRA in
        bands, intending to supply the airwaves needed for operators to   regard to transparency, progresses and completion of monitoring
        provide more advanced mobile broadband services. The majority   systems  affairs  for  RTDMS  (10%  Telecom  Services  Fee).  Mr.
        of the licenses went unsold, however, with Aftel emerging as the   Omar  Mansoor  Asnari,  ATRA  Acting-Chairman,  mentioned  in
        only winning bidder and paying the base price of USD17.2 million   this  explained  to  the  members  of  the  commission  that  ATRA
        for its 15-year concession. Omar Mansoor Ansari, ATRA Acting-  has carried out serious activities for hiring cadres for capacity
        Chairman, expressed that telecom network is changing and new   building bedsides expediting completion process since transfer
        technology generations having better speed than previous ones   of RTDMS or monitoring system 10% TSF to the authority based
        are being introduced, thus, wireless and wired networks operating   on President’s order, further, prepaid part of the system has been
        in  the  country  need  to  be  configured  for  providing  advanced   completed and there is 700 million Afghani rise to the government
        services  in  the  future.  “Frequency  sources  were  previously   income. Mr. Ansari stated, “ATRA has brought modifications within
        allocated  on  an  equal  basis  but  they  are  now  allocated  to  the   the 10% TSF Act for more transparency and once this is approved
        telecom companies through auction and competition to provide   by the parliament, RTDMS would be connected with main sources
        the necessary opportunity for 4G Services; ATRA licenses are not   and  there  would  be  more  transparency”.  Presentation  was
        technology-based afterward since mobile service license is apart   presented  to  the  representatives  on  RTDMS  after  this  meeting
        from technology license. ATRA is working on how the ground is   and the specifications and characteristics of 10% TSF monitoring
        paved for efficient use and cost of spectrum sources are provided   system  upon  telecom  networks  explained  to  them  nearby.  The
        for  telecom  companies  in  segregation”,  added  Omar.  Abdul   representatives  appreciated  ATRA  recent  efforts  regarding  the
        Kareem Totakhel, Deputy for State Affairs, termed the 4G auction   system transparency and assured any support for strengthening
        a big achievement for the country in the current condition and   the system.
        congratulated ATRA and telecom companies for this success and   (June 16, 2021) atra.gov.af





                                                                                                       Bahrain



        In  light  of  supporting  the  digital  transformation  strategy  in   and private services in accordance with the rapid technological
        the  Kingdom  of  Bahrain,  the  Telecommunications  Regulatory   trends."  Alnoaimi  stressed  on  TRA’s  commitment  to  assessing
        Authority  issues  the  first  license  to  execute  e-signature  and   all  systems  and  processes  on  a  periodic  basis  to  ensure  their
        trust services, to BENEFIT Company at the beginning of August.   contribution to fulfilling the needs of residents while preserving
        On  this  occasion,  TRA’s  Director  of  Cyber  Security  &  Technical   all parties' rights. TRA also supports initiatives that promote the
        Affairs  Eng.  Mohamed  Alnoaimi  said  “Through  licensing  trust   adoption of latest developments and technologies that improve
        and e-signature services, TRA seeks to keep pace with the latest   high  quality  of  service.  BENEFIT’s  Assistant  General  Manager
        technologies and developments to carry out its tasks and perform   for  Information  Technology,  Mr.  Riyadh  Al-Maraj  said,  "We  are
        its duties to achieve the strategy of the digital transformation. The   pleased that BENEFIT Company is the first entity in the Kingdom
        e-signature service is the latest initiative of TRA in this field. The   of Bahrain to obtain a license for trust services and e-signature,
        increased use of "e-signature" will help to enhance the efficiency   after passing the standards and specifications for providing the
        of administrative work and the level of performance of government   service  according  to  the  regulations  issued  by  TRA."  "BENEFIT

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